Preferences in distributing scarce goods
Abstract Respondents rated their preference for distributing scarce goods in four studies. Study 1, in which respondents were presented with brief scenarios, and Study 2, in which respondents were presented with single statements about the scarcity, showed that preferences among four different means of distribution (order of application, the market, merit, and random) varied with the nature of the scarcity. There was a tendency for respondents to prefer methods currently employed by society. Study 3 compared the preferences for the market system versus regulation of respondents brought up in a market or a regulated (communist) economy, and Study 4 compared preferences for New Zealand and German students. The results suggest that preferences are not a simple product of either economic upbringing or current practice. PsycINFO classification : 2239; 3040; 3920