How did the real estate crisis of 2007-2009 serve as an example of an Information Cascade?

The real estate crisis of 2007-2009 is an example of an Information Cascade because it demonstrates how individual decisions can be heavily influenced by the actions of others, leading to a chain reaction or 'cascade'. In this case, as more people started buying houses, others followed suit, assuming that it was a good decision because many others were doing it. This increased demand led to a rise in home prices. However, when the bubble burst, the prices crashed, leading to a crisis. This is a classic example of an Information Cascade, where people's decisions are based more on what others are doing rather than their own information or judgement.

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When this process begins to avalanche out of control, it is called an "Information Cascade." The real estate crisis of 2007-2009 was an example of home prices rising due to demand, only to crash. People assume that because many others do something that urgency exists. (Toilet paper in 2020, for example.) The results can be catastrophic.

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Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths

Can computer science teach us the secrets of life? Perhaps not, but they can shed light on how certain everyday processes work and how to exploit them...

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