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Conspicuous consumption dynamics

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  • Friedman, Daniel
  • Ostrov, Daniel N.

Abstract

We formalize Veblen's idea of conspicuous consumption as two alternative forms of interdependent preferences, dubbed envy and pride. Agents adjust consumption patterns gradually, in the direction of increasing utility. From an arbitrary initial state, the distribution of consumption among agents with identical preferences converges to a unique equilibrium distribution. When pride is stronger, the equilibrium distribution has a right-skewed density. When envy is stronger, the equilibrium is concentrated at a single point, and the adjustment dynamics involve a shock wave that can be interpreted as a growing, moving, homogeneous "middle class."

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  • Friedman, Daniel & Ostrov, Daniel N., 2008. "Conspicuous consumption dynamics," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 121-145, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:gamebe:v:64:y:2008:i:1:p:121-145
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    3. Frédéric Gavrel, 2019. "One Dynamic Game for Two Veblenian Ideas. Income Redistribution is Pareto-Improving in the Presence of Social Concerns," Working Papers halshs-02083460, HAL.
    4. Wei, Ying & Li, Feng, 2020. "Omnichannel supply chain operations for luxury products with conspicuous consumers," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    5. Ed Hopkins, 2008. "Inequality, happiness and relative concerns: What actually is their relationship?," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 6(4), pages 351-372, December.
    6. Flaviana Palmisano & Ida Petrillo, 2022. "A general rank‐dependent approach for distributional comparisons," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 24(2), pages 380-409, April.
    7. Hopkins, Ed & Kornienko, Tatiana, 2009. "Status, affluence, and inequality: Rank-based comparisons in games of status," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 552-568, November.
    8. Yann Bramoullé & Christian Ghiglino, 2022. "Loss Aversion and Conspicuous Consumption in Networks," AMSE Working Papers 2206, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    9. Ed Hopkins & Tatiana Kornienko, 2006. "Methods of Comparison in Games of Status," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 138, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
    10. Friedman, Daniel & Abraham, Ralph, 2009. "Bubbles and crashes: Gradient dynamics in financial markets," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 922-937, April.
    11. Haagsma, Rein, 2018. "Income inequality and saving in a class society: The role of ordinal status," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 12, pages 1-31.
    12. Haagsma, Rein, 2018. "Income inequality and saving in a class society: The role of ordinal status," Economics Discussion Papers 2018-12, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    13. Friedman, Daniel & Ostrov, Daniel N., 2010. "Gradient dynamics in population games: Some basic results," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(5), pages 691-707, September.
    14. Friedman, Daniel & Abraham, Ralph, 2008. "Bubblesandcrashes:Gradientdynamicsinfinancial markets," Santa Cruz Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt3905j8kq, Department of Economics, UC Santa Cruz.
    15. Chi, Feng & Yang, Nathan, 2010. "Wealth and Status: Analyzing the Perceived Attractiveness of 2010 FIFA World Cup Players," MPRA Paper 23881, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Tom Truyts, 2010. "Social Status In Economic Theory," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 137-169, February.
    17. Flaviana Palmisano & Ida Petrillo, 2021. "A general rank-dependent approach for distributional comparisons," Working Papers 567, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    18. Frédéric Gavrel & Thérèse Rebière, 2018. "On the equilibrium and welfare consequences of getting ahead of the Smiths," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 20(2), pages 257-270, April.
    19. Jessica Harriger-Lin & Neha Khanna & Andreas Pape, 2020. "Conspicuous consumption and peer-group inequality: the role of preferences," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 18(3), pages 365-389, September.
    20. Sandholm, William H., 2015. "Population Games and Deterministic Evolutionary Dynamics," Handbook of Game Theory with Economic Applications,, Elsevier.
    21. Lahkar, Ratul & Seymour, Robert M., 2013. "Reinforcement learning in population games," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 10-38.
    22. Frédéric Gavrel & Thérèse Rebière, 2015. "On the Equilibrium and Welfare Consequences of Going Ahead of the Smiths," Working Papers halshs-01242504, HAL.
    23. Ana I. Moro Egido, 2021. "Social Comparisons; the behavioural component," ThE Papers 21/04, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    24. Elena Bárcena-Martín & Alexandra Cortés-Aguilar & Ana I. Moro-Egido, 2017. "Social Comparisons on Subjective Well-Being: The Role of Social and Cultural Capital," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1121-1145, August.

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