Consumer decisions are made by which of the following processes?

• A. Maximizing the producer surplus for each purchase
• B. Purchasing every good available in the market
• C. Comparing the willingness to pay for a good with its market price
• D. Selecting goods based solely on advertising influence

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of consumer decision-making in microeconomics, which involves how consumers choose among different goods and services based on their preferences and constraints.
2. Recognize that consumers aim to maximize their utility or satisfaction from purchases, not producer surplus or simply buying everything available.
3. Identify that a key process in consumer decisions is comparing the willingness to pay (the maximum amount a consumer is ready to pay for a good) with the market price of that good.
4. Understand that if the willingness to pay is greater than or equal to the market price, the consumer will likely purchase the good because it provides positive net benefit or surplus.
5. Note that decisions based solely on advertising or other external influences do not fully capture the economic rationale behind consumer choice, which is fundamentally about comparing value (willingness to pay) to cost (market price).