D01 - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying PrinciplesNávrat zpět

Pareto efficiency plays the leading role throughout all branches of political economy. Frequently applied on various economic issues, Pareto efficiency decides on the optimal balance of resource distribution among economic agents. On the other hand, the current state of unequal distribution stimulates new economic researches to bring to light the relationship between market mechanism and observed inequality. The aim of the study is to provide a unique perspective on market-based inequalities which are derived from the self-preserving rationality of agents, and to prove that market mechanism inherently contains diverging forces. Additionally, it is showed that such divergences are not investigable by Pareto-optimization process; the process whose frequent misuse and misinterpretation obscures the general diverging drive of market mechanism and the process which may corrupt results of theoretical researches in the field.

Consumer choice theory uses continuous utility function, representing the consumer preference relation, as a traditional matter of course. However, there are alternative ways of defining consumer's optimum and proving its existence even without introducing such function. Contrasting both approaches raises question about aspects and limitations of economic interpretation of the mathematical form used in the theory. This article investigates economic interpretation in microeconomics as a relation of mathematical model and economic concepts and, using the example of consumer choice theory, formulates a model of economic interpretation based on the properties of analogical thinking, as defined by contemporary psychological literature. Model provides a framework for identifying risks coupled with economic interpretation of mathematical objects, their properties and relations.

The purpose of the paper is to map the economic theory of Gary Becker. The first part outlines the life of Gary Becker. The second part analyses his economic approach to human behaviour. The third part covers the economics of discrimination. The fourth part examines the human capital theory. The fifth part is concerned with crime and punishment. The sixth part deals with economics of the family. The seventh part outlines economics of life.

The paper deals with the different concepts of the human economic preferences in the point of view of the different economic schools, which deals with this topic. The paper begins with the description of the neoclassical concept of the preferences theory, followed by the critical analysis of Samuelsson's concept of the revealed preferences. Further the attention is being paid to the Rothbard's concept of the demonstrated preferences and unprecedented Becker's concept of the stable preferences. The paper concludes with the alternative concepts of preferences of behavioral economics, Lancaster approach and evolutional theory.

Theory of redistribution systems is an application and at the same time extension of Game Theory. It deals with functioning of institutions, establishments, firms and others social systems, in that pay-offs are redistributed in contrast to achievement of individual players. The redistribution is usually allowed by a coalition, formed inside of redistribution system, that disposes of dominance over the pay-offs' redistribution. Model of Elementary Redistribution System composes of three players bringing interesting and usable knowledge. The achievements of players are divided in the rate of simple numbers. Redistribution equation describing all possibilities of pay-offs' redistribution in Elementary Redistribution System and enabling to create and to test a computerized model of Elementary Redistribution System. Based on that, it is possible to model different types of bargaining, kinds of equilibrium - including Pareto optionality and Nash equilibrium - and in connection with it also chaining of simple redistribution systems into the combined ones. Model of Elementary Redistribution System is possible to extend into many branches and use it for description of behaviour of realistic social systems, especially by solving problems concerning the possibility to increase efficiency of its functioning.

One of the key assumptions of neoclassical economics is the existence of the rational individual, who always tries to maximize his or her utility. The paper shows possibilities of experimental evaluation of this hypothesis with respect to the various groups of people who undertake the experiment. Our experiments try to (1) Evaluate real outcomes of model situations, and (2) Find differences between various groups of treated people with respect to our main research question - whether economists behave more selfishly than any other group of people. We employed game theory and its fundamental models - Prisoner's dilemma and Ultimate and Dictator Games. In accordance to previous foreign experiments, we conclude that in real situations people behave in a much less self-interested way than predicted by the economic model. In situations favouring free-riding, people voluntarily contributed to public goods. According to the results of our experiments, the hypothesis that economists are more likely to act for their own self interest cannot be rejected. In both experiments economists behaved in a self interested way, but these results were not prevailing.