A Rational Reconstruction of the Compromise Effect: Using Market Data to Infer Utilities

Birger Wernerfelt

Journal of Consumer Research, 1995, vol. 21, issue 4, 627-33

Abstract: This article explores the possibility that consumers use market data to make inferences about product utilities. The argument is made by means of an example based on the "compromise effect" found in extant experimental data. This phenomenon is generally looked at as a manifestation of deviations from rationality in choice. However, assuming full rationality, I describe a decision rule that is based on consumers' inferences about their information about their own relative tastes. Through a number of examples, I will argue that consumers often use this or similar decision rules to make inferences about utility. I then show that the decision rule may generate compromise effects in experiments and that it may be sustainable. The compromise effect could therefore be seen as preliminary evidence that consumers make such inferences. Copyright 1995 by the University of Chicago.

Date: 1995
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (62)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/209423 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:21:y:1995:i:4:p:627-33

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Consumer Research is currently edited by Bernd Schmitt, June Cotte, Markus Giesler, Andrew Stephen and Stacy Wood

More articles in Journal of Consumer Research from Journal of Consumer Research Inc.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().