Many economic decisions involve a substantial amount of uncertainty, and therefore crucially depend on how individuals process probabilistic information. In this paper, we investigate the capability for probability judgment in a representative sample of the German population. Our results show...

Manufacturers are increasingly producing and promoting sustainable products (i.e., products that have a positive social and/or environmental impact). However, relatively little is known about how product sustainability impacts consumers' preferences. We propose that sustainability may not always...

Many economic decisions involve a substantial amount of uncertainty, and therefore crucially depend on how individuals process probabilistic information. In this paper, we investigate the capability for probability judgment in a representative sample of the German population. Our results show...

We show that formats used by retailers to organize assortments into subcategories can enhance or encumber consumers’ learning and satisfaction. For more knowledgeable consumers, unexpected subcategory formats provide a newness cue, thereby increasing effort, learning and satisfaction with the...

When should retailers offer promotions with uncertain rewards? The current research investigates this question and finds there are instances when uncertain incentives may seem more attractive than their expected value. For example, a lottery between small and large rewards may even be as...

We introduce a new class of preferences — which we call additive-belief-based (ABB) —that captures a general and yet tractable approach to belief-based utility, and that encompasses many popular models in the behavioral literature. We show that the general class of ABB preferences and two...

This paper studies how "rational inattention (RI)" -- a type of information processing constraint proposed by Sims (2003) -- affects the joint dynamics of consumption and income in a permanent income model with general income processes. Specifically, I propose an analytical approach to solve the...

Models of consumer learning and inventory behavior have both proven to be valuable for explaining consumer choice dynamics. In their pure form these models assume consumers solve complex dynamic programming (DP) problems to determine optimal choices. For this reason, these models are best viewed...

Wealth uncertainty may be resolved before consumption in which case consumption is optimal. But if uncertainty remains at the consumption level, after allocative decisions are made, ex post relative consumption is suboptimal. Therefore, ex ante the consumer has to balance attitudes to risk with...

According to the Becker-Murphy model, the consumption of a habitual good follows from forward-looking, maximizing, and time consistent choices on the basis of specific preferences. The ongoing use of such a good builds up a stock of consumption capital which, in turn, affects both its present...