Arbeitspapier

Households' probabilistic inflation expectations in high-inflation regimes

Central bank surveys frequently elicit households' probabilistic beliefs about future inflation. However, most household surveys use a response scale that is tailored towards low-inflation regimes. Using data from a randomized controlled trial included in the Bundesbank Online Panel Households, we show (i) that keeping the original scale in high-inflation regimes distorts estimates of histogram moments and forces households to provide probabilistic expectations that are inconsistent with the point forecasts and (ii) how shifting the scale improves the consistency of predictions by allowing respondents to state more detailed beliefs about higher inflation ranges. We also explore potential disadvantages of adjusting the response scale.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: ZEW Discussion Papers ; No. 23-072

Classification
Wirtschaft
Expectations; Speculations
Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
Central Banks and Their Policies
Subject
Probabilistic expectations
inflation
survey data

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Becker, Christoph
Dürsch, Peter
Eife, Thomas A.
Glas, Alexander
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
ZEW - Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung
(where)
Mannheim
(when)
2023

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Becker, Christoph
  • Dürsch, Peter
  • Eife, Thomas A.
  • Glas, Alexander
  • ZEW - Leibniz-Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung

Time of origin

  • 2023

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