Final answer:
Rational behavior in consumers seeks to maximize total utility, which is the satisfaction derived from goods and services. Greater consumption typically increases utility, but with diminishing additional satisfaction over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rational behavior assumes that a consumer will try to use his or her income to derive the maximum amount of total utility from a good or service. The concept of rational behavior suggests that individuals act in a way that maximizes their own well-being, with utility being the measure of satisfaction or happiness that a consumer derives from consumption of goods and services.
According to economic analysis, people aim to achieve the highest level of utility, and as consumption of a good increases, the total utility derived from it also increases, albeit at a diminishing rate due to the pattern of diminishing marginal utility.