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Reaction to Price Changes and Aspiration Level Adjustments

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  • David Schmeidler
  • Itzhak Gilboa

Abstract

We claim that preferences of economic agents cannot be assumed given; rather, they are partly determined by the process of trade in the market, by information about the latter and so forth. In other words, preferences determine actions which, in turn, determine preferences. Thus classical tools of analysis such as the neo-classical utility function and the demand curve should be viewed merely as first approximations, which are too simplistic for many purposes. Changing preferences are not restricted to such phenomena as addiction, advertisement and so forth. Rather, for any product a satisficing consumer has an aspiration level, which is subject to change. The consumer's preferences, as reflected in choice behavior, will also change once the aspiration level is adjusted. We illustrate these claims by analyzing two examples concerning consumer reaction to price increases. We analyze the effect of aspiration level adjustments on the dynamic pattern of a single consumer's demand, and show that such adjustments generate predictions which do not conform to the neo-classical theory.
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Suggested Citation

  • David Schmeidler & Itzhak Gilboa, 1994. "Reaction to Price Changes and Aspiration Level Adjustments," Working Papers 023, Ohio State University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:osu:osuewp:023
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    File URL: http://ecolan.sbs.ohio-state.edu/pdf/schmeidler/reaction.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Itzhak Gilboa & David Schmeidler, 1993. "Case-Based Consumer Theory," Discussion Papers 1025, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    2. Becker, Gary S & Grossman, Michael & Murphy, Kevin M, 1991. "Rational Addiction and the Effect of Price on Consumption," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(2), pages 237-241, May.
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    7. Bar-Ilan, Avner & Blinder, Alan S, 1992. "Consumer Durables: Evidence on the Optimality of Usually Doing Nothing," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 24(2), pages 258-272, May.
    8. Pollak, Robert A, 1970. "Habit Formation and Dynamic Demand Functions," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(4), pages 745-763, Part I Ju.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lones Smith & Ennio Stacchetti, 2002. "Aspirational Bargaining," Game Theory and Information 0201003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Vjollca Sadiraj & Jan Tuinstra & Frans Winden, 2005. "Interest group size dynamics and policymaking," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 271-303, December.
    3. Werner Güth & Maria Vittoria Levati & Matteo Ploner, 2012. "Satisficing And Prior‐Free Optimality In Price Competition," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 50(2), pages 470-483, April.
    4. Juan Carlos Carbajal & Jeffrey C. Ely, 2012. "Optimal Contracts for Loss Averse Consumers," Discussion Papers Series 460, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    5. Bert, Federico E. & Podestá, Guillermo P. & Rovere, Santiago L. & Menéndez, Ángel N. & North, Michael & Tatara, Eric & Laciana, Carlos E. & Weber, Elke & Toranzo, Fernando Ruiz, 2011. "An agent based model to simulate structural and land use changes in agricultural systems of the argentine pampas," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(19), pages 3486-3499.
    6. Guerdjikova, Ani, 2006. "Portfolio Choice and Asset Prices in an Economy Populated by Case-Based Decision Makers," Working Papers 06-13, Cornell University, Center for Analytic Economics.
    7. Philippe Jehiel & Oliver Compte, 2007. "Bargaining with Reference Dependent Preferences," Levine's Bibliography 122247000000001552, UCLA Department of Economics.
    8. Guerdjikova, Ani, 2004. "Asset price in an overlapping generations model with case-based decision makers with short memory," Papers 04-44, Sonderforschungsbreich 504.

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