Veblen effect, search for status goods, and negative utility of conspicuous leisure.

Malakhov, Sergey (2012): Veblen effect, search for status goods, and negative utility of conspicuous leisure.

Abstract

When expected savings on purchases are greater than the wage rate, the optimal search results in the negative marginal utility of leisure. The search transforms the classical backward bending effect and the leisure becomes complementary to the search. Consumers compensate “bad” leisure by status goods of exceptional quality on markets with high price dispersion. Status consumption complements “bad” conspicuous leisure and produces the Veblen effect as well as the “gardening aboard the boat” effect.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Veblen effect, search, status goods, negative utility, conspicuous leisure
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D1 - Household Behavior and Family Economics > D11 - Consumer Economics: Theory; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D83 - Search ; Learning ; Information and Knowledge ; Communication ; Belief ; Unawareness

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