Week 3 Tutorial: Signal or Noise?

Sort a batch of fictional profile claims into cheap talk and costly signal, and defend the line

6 March 2028

Before the tutorial

No preparation beyond the lecture — the batch of claims is supplied in the room.

In the tutorial

Given ten fictional profile claims, sort each into cheap talk or costly signal, then compare sorts across the room. Disagreements are the point: they usually turn on an unstated assumption about verification cost, and naming that assumption is the actual skill.

Afterwards

This sorting exercise is the direct precursor to Assignment 1, where you’ll build a profile and have to defend your own claims the same way you just judged someone else’s.

Printable handout

SLOP2470 — Tutorial 3 handout

Signal or Noise?

Monday 6 March 2028

What happens in the room

You're handed ten fictional profile claims — no prep needed beyond the lecture
Sort each claim into cheap talk or costly signal, with one sentence on what would have made it expensive to fake
Compare sorts across the room — disagreements usually hide an unstated assumption about verification cost
You leave able to name one claim you initially misclassified, and why

The spec

What you bring to the session. Written so a reader can tell whether it has been met without asking you.

every claim in your batch is sorted into cheap talk or costly signal
each sort comes with one sentence on what would have made it expensive to fake
you can name one claim you initially misclassified and why

Teaching team

Professor Sunk Costa — convenor

Week 3 Tutorial: Signal or Noise?

Before the tutorial#

In the tutorial#

Afterwards#

Printable handout#