Final answer:
During a recession, demand for fast-food hamburgers, which are normal goods, is expected to decrease as consumers' incomes fall and they prioritize essential needs over discretionary spending, guided by principles of total and marginal utility.
Step-by-step explanation:
If fast-food hamburgers are considered normal goods, then during a recession, when incomes tend to fall, you'd expect the demand for fast-food hamburgers to decrease. This expectation is based on the economic principle that a fall in income generally leads to a decrease in quantity consumed for normal goods. As consumers have less disposable income, they tend to cut back on expenditures, including spending on normal goods like fast-food hamburgers, even if the prices of these goods fluctuate or 'bounce up and down' as stated in the provided context.
Similarly, consumer behavior during a recession might shift as they prioritize essential needs over discretionary spending. The choice to spend less on normal goods is also informed by the concepts of total and marginal utility, where individuals make purchasing decisions based on the additional satisfaction obtained from consuming one more unit of a good or service. Personal preferences and the level of satisfaction derived from consumption play significant roles in how much less of a normal good is consumed when income falls.