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Empirical Revealed Preference

Author

Listed:
  • Ian Crawford

    (Institute for Fiscal Studies, London WC1E 7AE, United Kingdom
    Department of Economics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UQ, United Kingdom)

  • Bram De Rock

    (European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, and Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium)

Abstract

This article aims to provide an introduction to empirical revealed preference (RP) and an overview of the current state of the field. We hope to give a sense of how RP methods work and the types of questions they can address and to assess the strengths and drawbacks of the approach. After briefly recapping the basics of RP theory, we review and critically assess the literature in two main areas representing the principal fields in which recent research has made significant advances: broadening the scope of RP methods and dealing with empirical issues related to bringing RP to the data. We conclude with a discussion of some future directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian Crawford & Bram De Rock, 2014. "Empirical Revealed Preference," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 503-524, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:anr:reveco:v:6:y:2014:p:503-524
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    File URL: http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-economics-080213-041238
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rahul Deb & Yuichi Kitamura & John K.-H. Quah & Jorg Stoye, 2017. "Revealed Price Preference: Theory and Stochastic Testing," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2087, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    2. Demuynck, Thomas, 2021. "A Markov Chain Monte Carlo procedure to generate revealed preference consistent datasets," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. Demuynck, Thomas & Hjertstrand, Per, 2019. "Samuelson's Approach to Revealed Preference Theory: Some Recent Advances," Working Paper Series 1274, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    4. Andrew Ellis & David J. Freeman, 2024. "Revealing Choice Bracketing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 114(9), pages 2668-2700, September.
    5. Rahul Deb & Yuichi Kitamura & John K H Quah & Jörg Stoye, 2023. "Revealed Price Preference: Theory and Empirical Analysis," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 90(2), pages 707-743.
    6. Domenico Moramarco & Bram De Rock, 2022. "Nonparametric analysis of heterogeneous multidimensional fairness," Working Papers 621, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    7. Müller, Daniel, 2019. "The anatomy of distributional preferences with group identity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 785-807.
    8. Keith Marzilli Ericson & Philipp Kircher & Johannes Spinnewijn & Amanda Starc, 2021. "Inferring Risk Perceptions and Preferences Using Choice from Insurance Menus: Theory and Evidence," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(634), pages 713-744.
    9. Aluma Dembo & Shachar Kariv & Matthew Polisson & John K.-H. Quah, 2021. "Ever Since Allais," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 21/745, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    10. Matthew Polisson, 2018. "A lattice test for additive separability," IFS Working Papers W18/08, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    11. Daniel Müller, 2017. "The anatomy of distributional preferences with group identity," Working Papers 2017-02, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck, revised Mar 2017.
    12. Molinari, Francesca, 2020. "Microeconometrics with partial identification," Handbook of Econometrics, in: Steven N. Durlauf & Lars Peter Hansen & James J. Heckman & Rosa L. Matzkin (ed.), Handbook of Econometrics, edition 1, volume 7, chapter 0, pages 355-486, Elsevier.
    13. Federico Echenique & Taisuke Imai & Kota Saito, 2020. "Testable Implications of Models of Intertemporal Choice: Exponential Discounting and Its Generalizations," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 114-143, November.
    14. Stavros A. Drakopoulos, 2024. "Value Judgements, Positivism and Utility Comparisons in Economics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(3), pages 423-437, January.
    15. Eileen Tipoe & Abi Adams & Ian Crawford, 2022. "Revealed preference analysis and bounded rationality [Consume now or later? Time inconsistency, collective choice and revealed preference]," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 74(2), pages 313-332.
    16. Steven D. Silver, 2016. "A QUAIDS Model of Need-Based Structure in U.S. Personal Consumption 2006–2012," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 44(3), pages 303-323, September.
    17. Mir Adnan Mahmood & John Rehbeck, 2022. "Correcting for Random Budgets in Revealed Preference Experiments," Games, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-14, April.
    18. Stavros A. Drakopoulos, 2025. "The Conceptual Resilience of the Atomistic Individual in Mainstream Economic Rationality," Review of Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(1), pages 1-20, January.
    19. Mingshi Chen & Tracy Xiao Liu & You Shan & Shu Wang & Songfa Zhong & Yanju Zhou, 2025. "How General Are Measures of Choice Consistency? Evidence from Experimental and Scanner Data," Papers 2505.05275, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2025.
    20. Matthew Polisson, 2018. "A lattice test for additive separability," IFS Working Papers W18/08, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    21. Laurens Cherchye & Bram De Rock & Frederic Vermeulen, 2023. "Nonparametric models in consumer behaviour," Working Papers of Department of Economics, Leuven 746841, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Department of Economics, Leuven.
    22. Federico Echenique, 2020. "New Developments in Revealed Preference Theory: Decisions Under Risk, Uncertainty, and Intertemporal Choice," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 12(1), pages 299-316, August.
    23. Smeulders, Bart & Crama, Yves & Spieksma, Frits C.R., 2019. "Revealed preference theory: An algorithmic outlook," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(3), pages 803-815.
    24. Faizal Adams & Kwasi Ohene-Yankyera & Robert Aidoo & Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa, 2021. "Economic benefits of livestock management in Ghana," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-17, December.
    25. Thomas Demuynck & Tom Potoms, 2022. "Testing revealed preference models with unobserved randomness: a column generation approach," Working Papers ECARES 2022-42, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

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