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Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

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Page 1: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Preferences

Page 2: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Preference Relation

The consumer strictly prefers bundle X to bundle Y:

The consumer is indifferent between X and Y:

),(),( 2121 yyxx f

),(~),( 2121 yyxx

Page 3: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Weak Preference

If

or

Then:

),(),( 2121 yyxx f

),(~),( 2121 yyxx

),(),( 2121 yyxx !

Page 4: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

How are the relations related?

Q: What do these two relations imply?

),(),( 2121 yyxx !),(),( 2121 xxyy !

Page 5: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

How are the relations related?

A: The consumer is indifferent between X and Y:

),(~),( 2121 yyxx

Page 6: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Assumption I: Complete Preferences

For any two bundles X and Y:X preferred to Y:

Y preferred to X:

Indifference:

),(),( 2121 yyxx !

),(),( 2121 xxyy !

),(~),( 2121 yyxx

Page 7: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Assumption II: Reflexive

Any bundle X is at least as good as itself:

),(),( 2121 xxxx !

Page 8: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Assumption III: Transitive

If:

And:

Then:

),(),( 2121 yyxx !

),(),( 2121 zzyy !

),(),( 2121 zzxx !

Page 9: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Indifference curves

Indifference curve

Weakly preferred set

2x

1x1x

2x

Page 10: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Q: Can indifference curves cross?

2x

1x

Z

X

Y

Page 11: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Perfect substitutes

2x

1x

Page 12: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Perfect complements

2x

1x

Page 13: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Satiation

2x

1x

2x

1x

Page 14: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Well-behaved preferences

Let’s impose some extra assumptions to rule out less interesting situations Well-behaved preferences satisfy two properties:

1. Monotonicity2. Convexity

Page 15: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Monotonicity

Consider two bundles:

where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of one.Then:

Monotonicity implies that indifference curves have negative slopes

),(),,( 2121 yyxx

),(),( 2121 xxyy f

Page 16: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Indifference curves have negative slopes

2x

1x

2x

1x

Page 17: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Convexity

Consider two bundles:

Convexity implies that, for ),(~),( 2121 yyxx

))1(,)1(( 2211 ytxtytxt −+−+

),( 21 xx!

10 ≤≤ t

Page 18: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Convex preferences

2x

1x1x1y2x

2y

Z

Page 19: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Non-convex preferences

2x

1x1x1y2x

2y

Z

Page 20: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Marginal rate of substitution

The MRS is the slope of the indifference curve at a point

MRS=derivative of indifference curve

2x

1x

),( 21 xx

1x

2x

Page 21: Preference Relation - Carnegie Mellon University...properties: 1. Monotonicity 2. Convexity Monotonicity Consider two bundles: where Y has at least as much of both goods and more of

Interpretation of MRS

The MRS measures the rate at which the consumer is willing to substitute one good for the other. If good 2 is measured in dollars, the MRS measures the consumer’s willingness to pay for an extra unit of good 1.