The theory of consumer choice is presented as a metaphor for decision-making because:

Correct answer: it provides a framework for analyzing consumer behavior, even if consumers do not explicitly perform the calculations.

Explanation

Economic models like the theory of consumer choice are not meant to be literal descriptions of thought processes. Instead, they serve as useful metaphors and analytical frameworks for understanding and predicting the outcomes of human behavior under constraints.

Other questions

Question 1

According to the theory of consumer choice, what does a consumer's budget constraint show?

Question 2

A consumer has an income of $1,000 per month. The price of a pizza is $10 and the price of a pint of Pepsi is $2. What is the slope of this consumer's budget constraint?

Question 3

Which of the following statements accurately describes an indifference curve?

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the four standard properties of indifference curves discussed in the chapter?

Question 5

The rate at which a consumer is willing to trade one good for another is called the:

Question 6

At the consumer's optimal choice, what is the relationship between the indifference curve and the budget constraint?

Question 7

If a consumer's income increases, and both goods are normal goods, what happens to the budget constraint and the optimal consumption point?

Question 8

What is an inferior good?

Question 9

When the price of a good falls, the change in consumption that results from the consumer feeling richer is called the:

Question 10

A Giffen good is a special type of good for which:

Question 11

When analyzing a worker's decision between consumption and leisure, a higher wage has what effect on the budget constraint?

Question 12

If a worker responds to a higher wage by working fewer hours, which of the following is true?

Question 13

What is the shape of indifference curves for two goods that are perfect substitutes, like nickels and dimes?

Question 14

An increase in the interest rate a consumer can earn on savings will cause their budget constraint between current and future consumption to:

Question 15

According to the theory of consumer choice, an increase in the interest rate could lead to either an increase or a decrease in saving because:

Question 16

If a consumer has an income of $3,000, wine costs $3 per glass, and cheese costs $6 per pound, what is the maximum number of glasses of wine the consumer can purchase?

Question 17

The property that indifference curves do not cross is a consequence of the assumption that:

Question 18

In the theory of consumer choice, what does the term 'utility' represent?

Question 19

If Jim earns $100, milk costs $2 per quart, and cookies cost $4 per dozen, what happens to his budget constraint if all prices and his income double?

Question 20

The case study about lottery winners is used to illustrate that:

Question 21

If a consumer's MRS of pizza for Pepsi is 4, and the price of a pizza is $10 and the price of Pepsi is $2, what should the consumer do to maximize satisfaction?

Question 22

The historical trend of a falling workweek alongside rising real wages suggests that, for labor supply over the long run:

Question 23

What is the key reason that the theory of consumer choice concludes a higher interest rate might either increase or decrease saving?

Question 24

A fall in the price of a good, with income held constant, causes the budget constraint to:

Question 25

The analysis of consumer choice provides a theoretical foundation for the:

Question 26

If a consumer is spending their entire income of $1,000 on 50 pizzas at $10 each and 250 pints of Pepsi at $2 each, they are at a point:

Question 27

The reason indifference curves are typically bowed inward is that:

Question 28

In the context of labor supply, what does the substitution effect of a higher wage encourage a worker to do?

Question 29

Based on the text, which of the following pairs of goods would most likely be represented by right-angle indifference curves?

Question 30

If Sam is a saver and the interest rate rises from 10 percent to 20 percent, what is the unambiguous effect on his consumption?

Question 32

What is the primary reason the Irish potato famine is sometimes cited as an example of a Giffen good?

Question 33

What is the consumer's optimal choice of pizza and Pepsi if their income is $1,000, the price of pizza is $10, the price of Pepsi is $2, and they are on the highest possible indifference curve?

Question 34

A consumer who is indifferent between a bundle of 5 left shoes and 5 right shoes, and a bundle of 5 left shoes and 7 right shoes, likely considers these goods to be:

Question 35

If the price of Pepsi falls from $2 to $1, and a consumer's purchases of Pepsi increase from 250 to 750 pints, this relationship is shown graphically as:

Question 36

According to the FYI box on utility, at the consumer's optimum, the marginal utility per dollar spent on pizza should be:

Question 37

When the price of an inferior good falls, the substitution effect leads to _______ consumption of the good, and the income effect leads to _______ consumption of the good.

Question 38

A consumer's preferences are represented by a set of indifference curves. If this consumer is offered a point on a higher indifference curve, what can be concluded?

Question 39

If a consumer spends his entire income, he can afford 75 pizzas at $8 each or 100 gallons of milk at $6 each. What is his income?

Question 40

When the price of pizza is $10 and the price of Pepsi is $2, the consumer's optimal bundle is 50 pizzas and 250 Pepsi. When the price of pizza falls to $8, the consumer's new optimum is 70 pizzas and 310 Pepsi. In this case, pizza is a:

Question 41

A consumer is choosing between apples and bananas. If the marginal rate of substitution is 3 apples per banana, it means:

Question 42

The theory of consumer choice helps explain why the labor supply curve for an individual might be backward-sloping by showing that:

Question 43

A consumer with an income of $2,000 can buy 100 units of good X at $20 each or 200 units of good Y at $10 each. What is the opportunity cost of one unit of good X?

Question 44

The substitution effect from a price change is the change in consumption that results from the movement:

Question 45

An increase in income causes a consumer's budget constraint to:

Question 46

A consumer chooses an optimal consumption point where the ratio of the marginal utilities of two goods equals:

Question 47

If Sally's wage increases from $50 to $60 an hour, the opportunity cost of her taking an hour of leisure:

Question 48

The main finding of the Jensen and Miller study on Giffen behavior in China was that:

Question 49

A consumer's budget constraint for two goods, X and Y, will pivot inward from the Y-axis if:

Question 50

If a consumer is currently at a point where their indifference curve is steeper than their budget constraint, they can increase their satisfaction by: