The Artisan Baker Model
An economist models the behavior of an expert artisan baker. The model, which accurately predicts the quality of the baker's bread, is based on the assumption that the baker makes decisions as if she were solving complex equations related to chemistry and thermodynamics. In reality, the baker relies on years of experience, intuition, and feel. Based on the logic of the expert billiard player analogy, evaluate the usefulness of the economist's model.
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The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
Ch.3 Doing the best you can: Scarcity, wellbeing, and working hours - The Economy 2.0 Microeconomics @ CORE Econ
Introduction to Microeconomics Course
Analysis in Bloom's Taxonomy
Cognitive Psychology
Psychology
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In the standard hiring process, the firm holds the ultimate power because it controls which candidates receive an employment offer.
An economist develops a model of an expert billiard player's behavior. The model assumes the player can instantly calculate the complex physics equations required to sink a ball. According to the 'as if' reasoning illustrated by this analogy, what is the primary justification for using such an unrealistic model?
Applying the 'As If' Principle to Business Decisions
Critique of the 'As If' Principle
The Artisan Baker Model
Milton Friedman used the analogy of an expert billiard player to explain the 'as if' principle in economic modeling. Match each element of the billiard player analogy to its corresponding concept in economic theory.
According to the expert billiard player analogy, the 'as if' principle suggests that successful economic agents, like expert players, have subconsciously mastered the complex mathematical calculations that underlie their optimal decisions.
An economist creates a model of a firm's pricing strategy, assuming the manager calculates marginal revenue and marginal cost for every product to maximize profit. A critic dismisses the model, arguing that real-world managers use intuition and simple rules of thumb, not complex calculus. Based on the logic of the expert billiard player analogy, what is the most effective defense of the economist's model?
Evaluating Competing Economic Models
The primary conclusion drawn from the expert billiard player analogy is that since the internal thought processes of economic actors are irrelevant, any model that accurately predicts outcomes is equally valid, regardless of how absurd its underlying assumptions are.
Critique of the 'As If' Principle
Applying the 'As If' Principle to Business Decisions