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Can not wanting to wear a mask be rational?

Author

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  • Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

    (Rochester Institute of Technology)

Abstract

I answer the question in the title by analyzing an office environment in which n?N individuals work together in an enclosed area. The ith worker wears his mask for h_i hours per day and this action involves a disutility. His health benefit from wearing a mask depends on how his mask wearing compares with the mask wearing of his co-workers. In this setting, I first compute the symmetric Nash equilibrium that describes the optimal number of hours of mask wearing by each worker. Second, I compute the Pareto efficient level of mask wearing on the part of the n workers. Finally, I explain why there is excessive mask wearing in the Nash equilibrium and then point out that it can indeed be rational to not want to wear a mask.

Suggested Citation

  • Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, 2022. "Can not wanting to wear a mask be rational?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(3), pages 1399-1404.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-21-01075
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karaivanov, Alexander & Lu, Shih En & Shigeoka, Hitoshi & Chen, Cong & Pamplona, Stephanie, 2021. "Face masks, public policies and slowing the spread of COVID-19: Evidence from Canada," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    2. Leo H. Kahane, 2021. "Politicizing the Mask: Political, Economic and Demographic Factors Affecting Mask Wearing Behavior in the USA," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 47(2), pages 163-183, April.
    3. Bardsley, Peter & Erkal, Nisvan & Nikiforakis, Nikos & Wilkening, Tom, 2013. "Recursive contracts, firm longevity, and rat races: An experimental analysis," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 217-231.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mask; Nash Equilibrium; Pareto Efficiency; Rat Race;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • C7 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory

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    Access and download statistics

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