EXAM 2

Question 1

Preference falsification

KURAN

Answer 1

KURAN

• “the act of misinterpreting ones genuine wants under perceived social pressures”
• Utility for expressing a private preference (what we believe internally) in public

Question 2

Intrinsic (economic utility)

KURAN

Answer 2

• Impact of expressing private preference on public outcome: policy rewards of “vote” (36)
• Probably always positive
• Negligible in large groups; highest in small group
  Ex: speaking in favor of what you want, there is a possibility that your voice will be listened to when in a small group

Question 3

Expressive (psychological utility)

KURAN

Answer 3

• “Need for individuality, autonomy, dignity, integrity” (31)
• Probably always positive, but weight depends in personality type (32)
  
  • Conformist: goes with the flow
  • Nonconformist: desperately needs to be heard, wants voice to be heard
• “The greater the degree of preference falsification, the larger the loss of the expressive utility” (31)

Question 4

Reputational (social utility)

KURAN

Answer 4

• “Individual has full control over public preference”
• One’s public preference might influence how ones valued and treated
• Society is a “source of physical comfort”
• Types (30)
  
  • Social punishment/rewards e.g. social isolation
    - Being ignored
  • Material punishment/rewards e.g. imprisonment
    - Investigated, tortured,
• Can be positive or negative, but we’re most interested in negative values that counteract expressive and intrinsic utility
• Manipulable by the state
  
  • Being punished for doing the smallest error