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Can Not Wanting to Wear a Mask be Rational?

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  • Batabyal, Amitrajeet

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

  • Batabyal, Amitrajeet, 2021. "Can Not Wanting to Wear a Mask be Rational?," MPRA Paper 113766, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 12 Jul 2022.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:113766
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. Peter Bardsley & Nisvan Erkal & Nikos Nikiforakis & Tom Wilkening, 2013. "Recursive Contracts, Firm Longevity and Rat Races: Experimental Evidence," Post-Print halshs-00811972, HAL.
    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.
    4. 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).
    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:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

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