Lea, S. E. (1978). The psychology and economics of demand. Psychological Bulletin, 85(3), 441-466.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.85.3.441
Notes that the demand curve used in economics may be analogous to the function relating the number of reinforcements obtained on a schedule of reinforcement to some parameter of the schedule. The limits of this analogy are explored, and literature from operant laboratory research, consumer research, and econometrics is surveyed, showing that both similarities and differences exist between supposedly analogous economic and psychological data. It is felt that the empirical similarities are sufficient to suggest that the theoretical differences between reinforcement theory and demand theory (which is based on rationality) may be less important than they appear. Situations intermediate between the laboratory and the economy are examined, and no discontinuity of behavior is found. (4 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)