General Revealed Preference Tests of Weak Separability and Utility Maximization with Incomplete Adjustment

Abstract

We propose more general non-parametric revealed preference tests for weak separability and utility maximization with incomplete adjustment. Hence, these procedures account for a decision maker’s inability to adjust his optimal allocation of the demanded goods and assets. Incomplete adjustment is especially important when modelling preferences of durable goods and assets. The procedures are based on a computationally attractive integer programming approach. Two empirical applications show that it is important to account for incomplete adjustment in consumer demand models of durable consumption goods and monetary assets.