Scarcity breeds rationality, new economic study finds
Thursday, December 4, 2014 - 16:00
in Mathematics & Economics
Through a series of surveys, researchers determined that people with less time or money to spare are better able to focus on what the purchase might be worth to them. The researchers began their inquiry with a finding from a 1985 study that showed participants were willing to pay a premium to buy a beer from a fancy beach resort but offered less money for the same beer when it was available from a corner grocery store. That study concluded that most people draw on contextual clues to determine how much they should pay for an item, with less regard than economics would suggest for an objective analysis of the intrinsic value of the purchase.