1 indifference curve and consumer choice. 2 overview illustrated using example of choices on movies...

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1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice

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Page 1: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

1

Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice

Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice

Page 2: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

2

OverviewOverview

Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts

Assumptions of preference– ______________________– ______________________– ______________________

Indifference curve Consumer choice

– maximize utility with constraint of budget

Page 3: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

3

Assumption 3: More is better

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

A

D?

E?C?

B?

Page 4: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

4

Assumption 3: Nonsatiation-- More is

better

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

A

more preferred

less preferred

?

?C

B

B preferred to A

A preferred to C

Page 5: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

5

Assumption 1: Can rank any two bundles

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

A

B

C

‘More is better’ means that as we go northeast from C to B, utility increases

Page 6: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

6

Indifference Curve:All Combinations of two Goods that yield the same level of utility (Make the consumers equally well off.)

No. of movies per Month

No. of concerts per month

A

B

C

D

E

U0

After giving you an additional concert, how many movies could we take away from you and leave you no better or worse off than D?

Page 7: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

7

Two things about the Indifference curveTwo things about the Indifference curve

First, it slopes _____. This follows the assumption about preferences _________.

Second, notice the curvature about the indifference curve. As we move downward and rightward along it, the curve becomes _________. Why?

Page 8: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

8

Diminishing Marginal Utility:As No. of concert increases, takes away decreasing amounts of movies to leave utility unchanged

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

U0

ΔM1

ΔM2

ΔM3

Along an indifference curve,

As No. of movies decreases and No. of concerts increases, Marginal utility from an additional movie ____ and Marginal utility from an additional concert _______.

ΔC ΔC ΔC

Page 9: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

9

Marginal Rate of Substitution– the absolute value of the slope of the indifference curve.

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

U0

ΔM1

ΔM2

ΔM3

ΔC ΔC ΔC

What does the slope (without the minus sign) of indifference Curve mean?The maximum amount of movie Max would willingly trade for one more concert.

Page 10: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

10

Marginal Rate of Substitution

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

U0

ΔM1

ΔM2

ΔM3

ΔC ΔC ΔC

Along the indifference curve,the slope _______in absolute value;the MRS _______ when No. of movies decreases and No. of concert increases.

Page 11: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

11

Indifference Map -Ranking Indifference Curves

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

A

B

CU0

U1

U-1

Any point on a higher indifference curve is preferred to any point on a lower one.

Page 12: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

12

Budget Set: All combinations of goods that lie on or inside the budget line

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

15

5

Not affordable

affordable

Page 13: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

13

Combine budget line with indifference curve

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

15

5

U0U1

U2

A

BC

The optimal combination of Goods for a consumer is thePoint on the budget line wherean indifference curve is tangentto the budget line.

Page 14: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

14

Combine budget line with indifference curve

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

15

5

U0U1

U2

A

BC

The absolute value of the slope of the budget line=__________The absolute value of the slope of the indifference curve =______The optimal decision-making rule is _________________

Page 15: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

15

Changes in income

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

15

5

U0U1

U2

A

BC

A rise in income, with no change in prices, leads to a new quantity demanded for each good. Whether a particular good is normal (quantity demanded increases) or inferior (quantity demanded decreases) depends on the individual’s __________, as represented by his ____________.

10

30

Page 16: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

16

Changes in Price

No. of movies per month

No. of concerts per month

15

5

U0U1

U2

A

BC

10

The drop in the price of concert rotates Max’s budget line ______. Based on his difference curves, he will choose___. What if we droppedthe price of concert again?How can we derive Max’s individual demandcurve for concert?

Page 17: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

17

Income and Substitution EffectsIncome and Substitution Effects

Demand curve actually summarizes impact of two separate effects of price change on quantity demanded

Substitution effects– As the price of concert falls, its relative price

( relative to movies) _____.– Max substitutes concerts in place of movies whose

prices have not changed.– It always moves quantity demanded in the opposite

direction to the price changeWhen price decreases (increases), substitution

effect works to _______ (_______) quantity demanded.

Page 18: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

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The Income EffectThe Income Effect

When the price of concert drops, Max’s budget line rotates rightward. The price decline of concert ____ his total purchasing power over both goods.

Income effect can work to either increase or decrease the quantity of a good demanded, depending on whether the good is normal or inferior.

If concert is a normal good, the income effect of a price cut will lead Max to consume _____ of them.

If concert is an inferior good, the income effect of a price cut will lead Max to consume _______ of them.

Page 19: 1 Indifference Curve and Consumer Choice. 2 Overview Illustrated using example of choices on movies and concerts Assumptions of preference –______________________

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Figure 7: Combining Income and Substitution EffectsFigure 7: Combining Income and Substitution EffectsPrice Decrease:

P

Purchasing Power

QD

QD

QD

if normalif inferior

Substitution Effect

UltimateEffect

(Almost Always)

QD

Price Increase:

P QD

QD

QD

if normal

if inferior

Substitution Effect

QDPurchasing

Power