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Are Consumers Rational ?Shifting the Burden of Proof

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  • Laurens Cherchye
  • Bram De Rock
  • Joshua Lanier

Abstract

We present a statistical test for the hypothesis of rational utility maximization on the basis of nonparametric revealed preference conditions. Our test is conservative for the utility maximization hypothesis. We take as null hypothesis that the consumer behaves randomly, and as alternative hypothesis that she is approximately utility maximizing. Our statistical test uses a permutation method to operationalize the principle of random consumer behavior. We show that the test has an asymptotic power of one against the alternative hypothesis of approximately utility maximizing behavior. We also provide simulated power results and two empirical applications (to experimental and observational data, respectively).
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Suggested Citation

  • Laurens Cherchye & Bram De Rock & Joshua Lanier, 2025. "Are Consumers Rational ?Shifting the Burden of Proof," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/398356, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/398356
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    2. Marco Castillo & Mikhail Freer, 2023. "A general revealed preference test for quasilinear preferences: theory and experiments," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 26(3), pages 673-696, July.
    3. Laurens Cherchye & Thomas Demuynck & Bram De Rock & Joshua Lanier, 2020. "Are Consumers Rational ?Shifting the Burden of Proof," Working Papers ECARES 2020-19, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Federico Echenique, 2021. "On the meaning of the Critical Cost Efficiency Index," Papers 2109.06354, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2022.
    5. Demuynck, Thomas & Salman, Umutcan, 2022. "On the revealed preference analysis of stable aggregate matchings," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 17(4), November.
    6. Laurens Cherchye & Thomas Demuynck & Bram De Rock & Joshua Lanier, 2025. "Are Consumers (Approximately) Rational? Shifting the Burden of Proof," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 107(6), pages 1652-1666, November.

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