ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Becker-DeGroot-Marschak method

Okay kiddo, I'll do my best to explain the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak method in a way that's easy for you to understand.

The Becker-DeGroot-Marschak method is a way to figure out how much money someone is willing to pay for something. Let's say you have a toy that you really, really want. But your parents say you have to buy it yourself. So you have to decide how much money you're willing to spend to get that toy.

Now, let's imagine there's a machine that can ask you how much you're willing to pay for that toy. The machine will give you a random number between zero dollars and the highest amount you're willing to pay. Let's say you're willing to pay up to $10 for the toy. The machine might give you a number like $5.

If the number the machine gives you is less than what you're willing to pay, you can go ahead and buy the toy for that amount. If the number is more than what you're willing to pay, you can choose not to buy the toy.

This method is called the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak method because it was invented by three economists named Gary Becker, Morris DeGroot, and Jacob Marschak. They came up with this method to help figure out how much people are willing to pay for things when there's no set price.

So, basically, the Becker-DeGroot-Marschak method is a little like a random number generator that helps people decide how much they're willing to pay for something they really want. It's a way to figure out what something is worth to you personally, without anyone else telling you what to pay.