Behavioral Economics: Biases, Prospect Theory, Utility
Session 1: orthodox neo clsscl: based of rational choice, may not consider people deviate from this model ≠ Behavioral eco: behaviors deviates in systematic and predictable ways (irrational) ealry neo classlc: hedonic psych maximize pleasure minimize pain post-war neo:
refernces to unobservable mental states were unscientifc, they focused on choices of individudals that “mirrored preferences” / Methodo of Behavioral eco: laboratory experiments/field expirements/ process measures (brain scans&
Production, Cost, Revenue, and Profit Maximization Concepts
Production and Cost Analysis
Short-Run Production Concepts
Total (Physical) Product (TPP)
- Definition: The total amount of output obtained from a given amount of input.
- Graph: Vertical axis: Units of Output; Horizontal axis: Units of Input.
Average (Physical) Product (APP)
- Definition: The amount of output obtained per unit of input.
- Formula: Output / Input (APP = TPP / Input).
- Graph: Vertical axis: Average Product; Horizontal axis: Units of Input.
Marginal (Physical) Product (MPP)
- Definition: The additional
Understanding Supply, Cost, and Revenue in Economics
Supply Fundamentals
- Supply indicates the amount of a good a seller is willing and able to produce at each price point.
- The quantity supplied and supply are distinct concepts. The quantity supplied is the specific amount a firm is willing and able to produce at a particular price.
- The Law of Supply states that the quantity supplied increases as the price rises. This demonstrates a direct relationship between price and quantity supplied.
- Movements along the supply curve are caused exclusively by a change
Core Concepts and Econometrics in Labor Market Analysis
Section 1: Labor Demand Basics
- Firms hire workers up to the point where the wage equals the Value of Marginal Product (VMP).
- VMP = P × MP (where P = price of output, MP = marginal product of labor)
- Downward-sloping labor demand due to diminishing marginal returns to labor.
Section 2: Labor Supply and Elasticity
- Labor supply reflects the tradeoff between leisure and work.
- Reservation wage: the minimum wage a person is willing to accept for a job.
- Effects of wage increase:
- Substitution effect: work is more
Industrial Organization: Monopoly, Competition, and Strategy
Early Models of Industrial Organization
- Cournot (1838): Used mathematics to study economics, price formation with a single supplier (monopoly), and oligopoly with simultaneous quantity setting.
- Bertrand (1883): Analyzed oligopoly with simultaneous price setting.
- Stackelberg (1934): Studied sequential setting of quantities in an oligopoly.
- Hotelling (1929) and Chamberlin (1933): Introduced the concept of product differentiation.
Schools of Thought in Industrial Organization
The Harvard School (1940s)
Key
Read MoreMicroeconomics Practice Questions: Trade, Utility, and Externalities
Microeconomics Practice: Trade, Utility, and Market Failure
1. Comparative Advantage and Trade (Refer to Figure 1)
Refer to Figure 1. From the figure, it is apparent that:
- New Zealand will experience a shortage of wool if trade is not allowed.
- New Zealand will experience a surplus of wool if trade is not allowed.
- New Zealand has a comparative advantage in producing wool, relative to the rest of the world. (C)
- Foreign countries have a comparative advantage in producing wool, relative to New Zealand.