Choosing whether to purchase a name brand or generic item comes down to:

• A. purchasing the item with the lowest consumer surplus
• B. selecting the item with the highest production cost
• C. comparing your willingness to pay for each item with their respective prices
• D. always choosing the name brand due to higher quality

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of consumer surplus, which is the difference between what a consumer is willing to pay for a good and the actual price they pay.
2. Recognize that when choosing between a name brand and a generic item, the key is to compare your willingness to pay for each item with their respective prices, not just the price or production cost alone.
3. Formally, consumer surplus can be expressed as \(\text{Consumer Surplus} = \text{Willingness to Pay} - \text{Price}\) for each item.
4. To make a rational choice, calculate the consumer surplus for both the name brand and the generic item by subtracting the price of each from your willingness to pay for that item.
5. Select the item that provides the higher consumer surplus, meaning it gives you more value relative to its price.