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Preferences over Consumption and Status

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  • Vostroknutov, Alexander

Abstract

In many models of interdependent preferences the payoffs have not only personal value but also enter the social part of the utility. This duality creates a problem of distinguishing what influences the choice more: consumption or social concerns. To identify what drives the behavior it is necessary to have a model of preferences that allows for unambiguous separation of personal and social components. I use the preferences for consumption and status as an example to show that the axioms in the paper describe the preferences that have unique expected utility representation with consumption and social utilities entering additively. This makes it possible to experimentally determine the nature of social preferences without ad hoc assumptions and to estimate whether consumption or social value is more important in economic decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Vostroknutov, Alexander, 2007. "Preferences over Consumption and Status," MPRA Paper 2594, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Jun 2007.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:2594
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martin Dufwenberg & Paul Heidhues & Georg Kirchsteiger & Frank Riedel & Joel Sobel, 2011. "Other-Regarding Preferences in General Equilibrium," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 78(2), pages 613-639.
    2. Martin Dufwenberg & Paul Heidhues & Georg Kirchsteiger & Frank Riedel & Joel Sobel, 2011. "Other-Regarding Preferences in General Equilibrium," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 78(2), pages 613-639.
    3. Tian, Guoqiang & Yang, Liyan, 2005. "How are Income and Non-Income Factors Different in Promoting Happiness? An Answer to the Easterlin Paradox," MPRA Paper 41209, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Mar 2010.
    4. Joel Sobel, 2009. "Generous actors, selfish actions: markets with other-regarding preferences," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 56(1), pages 3-16, March.
    5. Jay Simon, 2016. "On the existence of altruistic value and utility functions," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 81(3), pages 371-391, September.

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    JEL classification:

    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory

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