UC San Diego

This dissertation is comprised of three autonomous chapters all of which have one thing in common: they utilize experimental manipulations to answer questions of interest to economists and/or society. Chapter 1 finds significant evidence of discrimination against African Americans in the apartment rental market throughout the entire United States - subtle discrimination which would likely go unnoticed by any individual, though the effects are likely felt by many individuals. Chapter 2 finds evidence of people actively exploiting others' perceptions in order to obtain a favorable appearance - subjects will behave selfishly while attempting to appear selfless or egalitarian. Chapter 3 shows that a simple manipulation in the wording of a problem can result in subjects playing strategies more closely aligned with Nash Equilibrium predicted behavior