Various procedures for estimating the economic values required to weight characteristics in multitrait selection have been proposed. Some, despite their theoretically sound foundations, are frequently misinterpreted. One such method involves the derivation of economic values based upon accepted economic theories of the firm, profit maximization, and the concepts of marginal economic behaviour. An amplified and more rigorous presentation of this method and its theoretical basis is presented that confirms the basic propriety of the method, clarifies the misinterpretations surrounding its application, and offers additional insights into the potential fallacy of less economically rigorous alternatives.
