chapter 5 Flashcards
(76 cards)
examines how rational individuals make consumption choices when faced with limited resources.
Consumer Theory
Consumer Theory has always has two parts.
(1) What the consumer prefers.
(2) What the consumer can afford.
- Given any consumption bundles (x1, x2), consumer can rank them as to their desirability.
I. Consumer Preferences
the consumer can determine that one of the consumption bundles is strictly better than the other or decide that she is indifferent between the two bundles.
I. Consumer Preferences
>
preferred to
~
indifferent to
at least as good as
> ~
One bundle Is strictly preferred to another if
consumer chooses one bundle over the other
> preferred to
Consumer is indifferent between two bundles
when both bundles satisfies him/her
~ indifferent to
Consumer weakly prefers either of the
bundles which is available upon consumption;
but chooses a bundle when both are present
> ~ at least as good as
The consumer strictly
prefers (X1, X2) to (y1.
> preferred to
Consuming bundle X
satisfies him/her as
he/she would be
satisfied when
consuming bundle Y
~ indifferent to
Bundle X Is at least as
good as Y but X is
chosen either because
it is available or
consumer chooses
such at a certain period
> ~ at least as good as
4 assumptions of rational preferences
- Completeness
- Monotonicity assumption
- Reflexivity
- Transitivity
- A property of preference that implies a bundle of goods can be ranked as preferred, indifferent, or less preferred to one another.
- Completeness
means that you will choose one bundle over the other. (x1, x2) ≻ (y1, y2)
a. Preferred
means that you will gain the same satisfaction with two bundles, other factors being equal. (x1, x2) ~ (y1, y2)
b. Indifferent
- Completeness
a. Preferred
b. Indifferent
- In other words, we assume that people are not paralyzed by indecision—that they can actually state what they prefer.
- Completeness
- This is known as the ‘more is better’ property of preferences.
- Monotonicity assumption
- A bundle with more of one good and no less of the other is preferred or indifferent to as otherwise equivalent bundle.
- Monotonicity assumption
- Monotonicity assumption
- Ex. If bundle A(3, 5) and bundle B(3, 2) are available to the consumer, then he/she will prefer….
bundle A over bundle B as bundle A consists of more units of good 2 than bundle B
- Monotonicity assumption * also called as the
non-satiation assumption
- We assume that any bundle is at least as good as itself.
- Reflexivity