The order of the letters along the rows of computer keyboards could be changed to allow users to type faster, but this would inconvenience the vast majority of people who learned to type with the current keyboard layout.The costs of switching to a new layout make this change unlikely.This is an example of
A)path dependency.
B)how social influences overwhelm the substitution effect of a price change.
C)how the elasticity of demand for typewriters has been affected by externalities.
D)how consumers sometimes do not behave rationally.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario demonstrates path dependency, which is the idea that past decisions and actions constrain current and future options. The QWERTY keyboard layout was designed in the late 1800s to solve a mechanical problem with early typewriters, but it became the standard and is still in widespread use today because of path dependence. Despite the potential benefits of a different layout, such as the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard, the costs of switching to a new standard are too high due to the installed base of QWERTY keyboards and the large number of people who already know how to type on them.

The Order of the Letters Along the Rows of Computer