3. Howard consumes only two goods. An economist has collected the following data on Howard's consumption behavior: Observation P1 P2 P3 X2 x3 1 1 3 3 1 1 3 3.5 2 0.5 Does Howard's behavior satisfy WARP? Explain your answer.

Economics (MindTap Course List)
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Chapter20: Consumer Choice: Maximizing Utility And Behavioral Economics
Section20.2: Consumer Equilibrium And Demand
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3. Howard consumes only two goods. An economist has collected the following data on Howard's
consumption behavior:
Observation
P1
P2
P3
X1
X2
X3
1
2
3
2
1
2
1
3
3.5
2
0.5
Does Howard's behavior satisfy WARP? Explain your answer.
Transcribed Image Text:3. Howard consumes only two goods. An economist has collected the following data on Howard's consumption behavior: Observation P1 P2 P3 X1 X2 X3 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 3 3.5 2 0.5 Does Howard's behavior satisfy WARP? Explain your answer.
Expert Solution
Step 1

Paul Anthony Samuelson, an American economist, introduced the concept of revealed preference in 1938 and argued that customer behaviour, given income and the item's price remain constant, is the most significant predictor of their preferences.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

According to American economist Paul Anthony Samuelson's 1938 notion of "revealed choice," the easiest way to determine a consumer's preferences is to watch how they spend their money and how much the item costs.

It is assumed that consumers are rational in Revealed Preference Theory (RPT).

WARP, SARP, and GARP are three of the most famous axioms.


Understanding a Person's Known Preferences.

For a long time, the concept of utility was used to explain consumer behaviour and, in particular, customer choice. The utility in economics is how much pleasure or satisfaction buyers obtain from a purchase. Nevertheless, utility is exceedingly difficult to quantify in unambiguous terms, and economists complained about the prevalent dependence on utility in the early twentieth century. Samuelson's "Revealed Preference Theory," which stated that consumer behaviour was not based on utility but rather on observable behaviour that relied on a small number of generally undisputed assumptions, was the only replacement theory considered, although all were similarly condemned.

According to the economic principle known as " revealed choice, consumer preferences can best be measured by observing their purchasing habits, according to the economic principle known as "revealed choice." The underlying premise of revealed preference theory is that consumers are sensible. To put it another way, they'll have done their homework before making a final selection. As a result, the option selected by the customer as the preferred one must be the best one.

Because of revealed preference theory, the preferred option can fluctuate based on price and other financial considerations. This can be done by analysing the preferences of a specific population at each point of constraint to construct a schedule of their preferred items under different pricing and budget constraints. According to this notion, if a consumer's budget allows it, the "preferred" bundle of items is what they'll choose. People only move to less priced, less attractive products if the preferred bundle is no longer affordable.

Samuelson set out to find a way to measure the utility, or pleasure, derived from a good. Jeremy Bentham's marginal utility theory inspired developing revealed preference theory. There have been many economists since then who have added to revealed preference theory, but it has remained one of the most influential theories in the field of consumer behaviour. An essential application of the theory is in the empirical study of consumer choice.

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