Why Is Society's Marginal Social Benefit Curve for a Public

question 72

Essay

Why is society's marginal social benefit curve for a public good found by vertically summing individual marginal benefit curves and not by horizontal summation as is the case for private goods?

---

Definitions:

Social-Cognitive Perspective

A viewpoint in psychology that emphasizes the importance of observational learning, self-efficacy, situational influences, and cognitive processes in understanding behavior.

John B. Watson

An American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism, emphasizing the study of observable behavior and rejecting the notion of internal processes.

Reinforcement

The process in behavioral psychology that strengthens or encourages a behavior by providing a reward or positive outcome.

Maladaptive Behavior

Actions or tendencies that are counterproductive to oneself or to one's well-being, often a response to environmental stressors.