Area under the curve as a measure of demand elasticity
Document Type
Thesis
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Psychology
Degree
M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis
Date Completed
2018
First Committee Member
Bourret, Jason
Second Committee Member
Thompson, Rachel
Third Committee Member
Pinkston, Jonathan
Abstract
"The pursuit of a method of quantifying elasticity of demand has been an area of interest in the behavior-analytic literature for the last thirty years. Although a reinforcer may be consumed at a particular response requirement, consumption may decrease as the response requirement increases. Because reinforcers are often identified under small response requirements and then applied contingent upon larger response requirements, quantifying a reinforcer’s elasticity may have clinical value. Past endeavors to do so have used parameter values in mathematical models. However, as models change over time and to promote cross-study analyses a model-neutral method to be desired. We calculated area under the curve (AUC) for each reinforcer by taking the sum of the trapezoids under each demand function, and compared those values with established methods of quantifying elasticity of demand (Pmax and reciprocal α). Correlation coefficients between AUC, Pmax and reciprocal α were high, implying that AUC may be used as a measure of elasticity."
Recommended Citation
Craddock, Lesleigh, "Area under the curve as a measure of demand elasticity" (2018). Master’s Theses - College of Arts and Sciences. 49.
https://digitalcommons.wne.edu/castheses/49
