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Item Metadata only Empirical evidence for intransitivity in consumer preferences(2020-04) Artola Jarrín, Verónica Elizabeth; Artola Jarrín, Verónica ElizabethThe present paper addresses one of the most important assumptions in consumer preference patterns: transitivity. This assumption states that, logically, selections between goods are rational because of the transitivity statement, which posits that people always prefer goods in the following order: A is preferred to B, and B is preferred to C, so A is preferred to C. With the aim of proving this principle's validity, we conducted an experiment with 70 subjects and probed their preferences in relation to edible and nonedible goods. We used a survey methodology, which allowed us to analyze three distinct situations: 1) individuals faced with goods choices without restrictions; 2) individuals facing budget restrictions and price changes; and 3) individuals faced with decreased disposable income. The results mostly showed that there was no evidence of transitivity in consumer preferences. On average, transitivity appeared in only 8% of the sample, and in cases where transitivity was proved, it was revealed to be strong. The preferences were transitive primarily in relation to edible rather than nonedible goods.Item Metadata only Facing covid-19 in Ecuador: a blueprint for monetary policy and food sovereignty(2021) Samaniego Ponce, Pablo Esteban; Samaniego Ponce, Pablo EstebanIn Ecuador, in a context of social and political conflict, the pandemic has revealed structural problems that are becoming increasingly acute for a country with a dollarized economy. The situation has its roots in inequality resulting from a number of sources and which has become more evident during the pandemic. A compounding factor is the dislocation of a population obliged to turn to informal work or self-employment due to the application of structural adjustment policies and deregulation of markets. The government boosts large-scale mining. Within this framework, the article proposes measures that could help to mitigate some of the problems faced by a country that does not have its own currency. A major component is a what we call conditional integral regulation, together with lines of liquidity which would promote the repatriation of capital. In terms of food sovereignty, while food is available, distribution problems in an agricultural sector based on the campesino and family economy are exacerbating a situation of chronic malnutrition in children.