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Slutsky matrix norms: The size, classification, and comparative statics of bounded rationality

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  • Aguiar, Victor H.
  • Serrano, Roberto

Abstract

Given any observed demand behavior —by means of a demand function—, we quantify by how much it departs from rationality. The measure of the gap is the smallest Frobenius norm of the correcting matrix function that would yield a Slutsky matrix with its standard rationality properties (symmetry, singularity, and negative semidefiniteness). As a result, we are able to suggest a useful classification of departures from rationality, corresponding to three anomalies: inattentiveness to changes in purchasing power, money illusion, and violations of the compensated law of demand. Errors in comparative-statics predictions from assuming rationality are decomposed as the sum of a behavioral error (due to the agent) and a specification error (due to the modeller). Illustrations are provided using several bounded rationality models.

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  • Aguiar, Victor H. & Serrano, Roberto, 2017. "Slutsky matrix norms: The size, classification, and comparative statics of bounded rationality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 163-201.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:172:y:2017:i:c:p:163-201
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2017.08.007
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    3. Michael Jerison, 2023. "Social welfare and the unrepresentative representative consumer," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 25(1), pages 5-28, February.
    4. Fernando Luco & Guillermo Marshall, 2021. "Diagnosing Anticompetitive Effects of Vertical Integration by Multiproduct Firms," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 59(2), pages 381-392, September.
    5. Thomas Demuynck & John Rehbeck, 2023. "Computing revealed preference goodness-of-fit measures with integer programming," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 76(4), pages 1175-1195, November.
    6. Xavier Gabaix, 2017. "Behavioral Inattention," NBER Working Papers 24096, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Victor H. Aguiar & Roberto Serrano, 2018. "Cardinal Revealed Preference, Price-Dependent Utility, and Consistent Binary Choice," Working Papers 2018-3, Brown University, Department of Economics.
    8. Yoram Halevy & Dotan Persitz & Lanny Zrill, 2018. "Parametric Recoverability of Preferences," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(4), pages 1558-1593.
    9. Efe A. Ok & Gerelt Tserenjigmid, 2023. "Measuring Stochastic Rationality," Papers 2303.08202, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2023.
    10. Victor Aguiar & Roland Pongou & Jean-Baptiste Tondji, 2016. "Measuring and Decomposing the Distance to the Shapley Wage Function with Limited Data," Working Papers 1613e, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    11. Zheng Fang & Juwon Seo, 2019. "A Projection Framework for Testing Shape Restrictions That Form Convex Cones," Papers 1910.07689, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2021.
    12. Aguiar, Victor H. & Serrano, Roberto, 2021. "Cardinal revealed preference: Disentangling transitivity and consistent binary choice," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    13. Raghav Malhotra, 2022. "(Functional)Characterizations vs (Finite)Tests: Partially Unifying Functional and Inequality-Based Approaches to Testing," Papers 2208.03737, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2023.
    14. Aguiar, Victor H. & Pongou, Roland & Tondji, Jean-Baptiste, 2018. "A non-parametric approach to testing the axioms of the Shapley value with limited data," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 41-63.
    15. Roy Allen & John Rehbeck, 2021. "Measuring rationality: percentages vs expenditures," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 91(2), pages 265-277, September.
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    17. Victor H. Aguiar & Roland Pongou & Roberto Serrano & Jean-Baptiste Tondji, 2018. "An Index of Unfairness," Working Papers 2018-9, Brown University, Department of Economics.
    18. Geoffroy de Clippel & Kareen Rozen, 2018. "Consumer Theory with Misperceived Tastes," Working Papers 2018-10, Brown University, Department of Economics.
    19. Maes, Sebastiaan & Malhotra, Raghav, 2024. "Robust Hicksian Welfare Analysis under Individual Heterogeneity," CRETA Online Discussion Paper Series 84, Centre for Research in Economic Theory and its Applications CRETA.
    20. Victor H. Aguiar & Roberto Serrano, 2018. "Classifying bounded rationality in limited data sets: a Slutsky matrix approach," SERIEs: Journal of the Spanish Economic Association, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 389-421, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Consumer theory; Slutsky matrix function; Bounded rationality; Comparative statics; Sparse-max consumer; Collective model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C60 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - General
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General

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