You explain to your roommate Surya, who makes beaded headbands, about an
economic theory which asserts that consumers will purchase more of a product at lower
prices than they will at higher prices. She contends that the theory is incorrect because
over the past two years she has lowered the price of her headbands and yet has seen a
decrease in sales. How would you respond to Surya?
A) Surya is right; she has evidence to back her claim. The theory must be erroneous.
B) Surya is making the mistake of assuming that correlation implies causation.
C) I will explain to her that she is making the error of reverse causality: it is the
decrease in demand that has caused her to lower her prices.
D) I will explain to her that there are some omitted variables that have contributed to a
decrease in her sales such as changes in income.
Table 14-5
Ming and Henri each
run one of the two dry cleaning facilities in the town of Scaraby. Both consider offering
free pickup and delivery services. Table 14-5 shows the payoff matrix containing the
expected quarterly profits for each firm. Does Henri have a dominant strategy? If yes,
what is it?
A) Yes, Henri’s dominant strategy is to not offer free pickup and delivery.
B) Yes, Henri’s dominant strategy is to offer free pickup and delivery.
C) No, Henri does not have a dominant strategy – his best outcome depends on what
Ming does.
D) Yes, Henri’s dominant strategy is to wait and see what Ming does first.