A growing economic literature stresses the importance of relative comparisons, e.g., for savings and consumption or happiness. In this literature it is usually assumed that reference standards against which people compare themselves are exogenously given. In contrast findings from social...

Traditional choice models assume that observable behavior results from an unspecified evaluation process of the observed individual. When it comes to the revelation of this process mere choice models rapidly meet their boundaries, as psychological factors (e.g., consumers' perception or...

We consider a consumption model that takes into account the valuation and demand uncertainties that consumers face while using access services. Typical examples of such services include telecommunication services, extended warranties for consumer electronics, and club memberships. We demonstrate...