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Behind The Demand Curve I

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(iii) Paradox of value - diamonds & water. fig. Assumptions. Consumers are rational. Ceteris paribus ... Resource allocation (iii) Paradox of value - diamonds & water ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Behind The Demand Curve I


1
Behind The Demand Curve I
  • 1.Marginal utility theory
  • assumptions
  • law of diminishing marginal utility
  • optimal consumption
  • critique
  • 2. Uses of utility theory?

2
Uses
  • (i) Elasticity - determined by preferences. How
    quickly MU diminishes
  • (ii) Efficiency - consumer surplus. Resource
    allocation
  • (iii) Paradox of value - diamonds water

3
Assumptions
  • Consumers are rational
  • Ceteris paribus
  • Cardinalist approach - utils
  • Utility satisfaction (preferences)

4
Measurement of utility
  • Total utility
  • the total satisfaction gained from the
    consumption of ALL units of a commodity.
  • Marginal utility
  • the extra utility derived from the consumption
    of one more unit of a good, the consumption of
    all other goods remaining unchanged.
  • See Figure 1-3 - shape calculation

5
Utility from consuming cream cakes (daily)
No. of cream cakes
TU in utils
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 7 11 13 14 14 13
Utility (utils)
No. of cream cakes consumed (per day)
6
Utility from consuming cream cakes (daily)
TU
No. of cream cakes
TU in utils
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 7 11 13 14 14 13
Utility (utils)
No. of cream cakes consumed (per day)
7
Utility from consuming cream cakes (daily)
TU
No. of cream cakes
TU in utils
MU in utils
- 7 4 2 1 0 -1
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 7 11 13 14 14 13
Utility (utils)
No. of cream cakes consumed (per day)
8
Utility from consuming cream cakes (daily)
TU
DTU 2
DQ 1
Utility (utils)
MU DTU / DQ 2/1 2
MU
No. of cream cakes consumed (per day)
9
The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility
  • Slope of the MU schedule
  • Definition
  • as the quantity of a good consumed by an
    individual increases, the marginal utility of the
    good will eventually decrease.
  • Marginal analysis

10
Optimal consumption - background
  • Consumers have limited income. Choices. No saving
  • Rational consumer - maximise utility
  • Measurement problem - utils?
  • Solution measure utility in money
  • price prepared to pay
  • price you actually pay

11
Optimal consumption - single good
  • Buy one extra unit when
  • MU gt Price
  • MU (in monetary terms) marginal benefit
  • Price marginal cost
  • Stop when
  • MU Price

12
Optimal consumption - consumer surplus(CS)
  • Consumer surplus
  • Price prepared to pay - price actually paid
  • Marginal consumer surplus
  • MCS MU - marginal expenditure
  • MCS MU - P
  • i.e. the excess of utility over price
  • Buy more when MU gt P (MCS positive). Stop MU P

13
Derivation of the demand curve
  • Equals the MU curve as long as consumers maximise
    CS
  • If price falls buy more since MU gt P or MCS is
    positive
  • movement along demand schedule

14
Marginal utility from petrol
MU
MU, P (pence per litre)
Q (litres per annum)
15
Optimal consumption - multi-good case
  • Equi-marginal principle
  • MUa \ Pa MUb \ Pb MUc \ Pc MUn \ Pn
  • If price of a good changes - reallocate income
  • If income is fixed
  • utility is maximised when the utility from the
    LAST pound spent on ALL goods is equal

16
Uses
  • (i) Elasticity - determined by preferences. How
    quickly MU diminishes
  • (ii) Efficiency - consumer surplus. Resource
    allocation
  • (iii) Paradox of value - diamonds water
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