Random consideration and choice: A case study of «default» options

Abstract

A growing number of stochastic choice models include a “default” option for situations where the decision maker selects none of the feasible alternatives. While this is a welcome development, these models also present an empirical challenge - since the situations where the decision-maker chooses nothing may be difficult to observe. Taking Manzini and Mariotti’s (2014) independent random consideration model as a point of departure, I investigate what can be learned about models of choice with default when the no-choice behavior of the decision-maker is unobservable.