Testing negative value of information and ambiguity aversion

Christopher Kops and Illia Pasichnichenko

Journal of Economic Theory, 2023, vol. 213, issue C

Abstract: The standard Subjective Expected Utility model of decision-making implies that information can never have a negative value ex-ante. Many ambiguity theories have since questioned this property. We provide an experimental test of the connection between the value of information and ambiguity attitude. Our results show that the value of information can indeed be negative when new information renders hedging against ambiguity impossible. Moreover, the value of information is correlated with ambiguity aversion. This confirms the predictions from ambiguity theories and may have implications for decision-making in uncertain and dynamic environments. Neither complexity avoidance nor information with ambiguous reliability can reproduce the results.

Keywords: Value of information; Information aversion; Ambiguity aversion; Ellsberg urn; Dynamic consistency; Complexity avoidance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D81 D83 D91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:213:y:2023:i:c:s0022053123001266

DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2023.105730

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