Rationality on the Rise: Why Relative Risk Aversion Increases with Stake Size

Fehr-Duda, Helga (), Adrian Bruhin (), Thomas Epper and Renate Schubert ()
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Fehr-Duda, Helga: Institute of Economic Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
Renate Schubert: Institute of Economic Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

No 708, Working Papers from University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute

Abstract: How does risk tolerance vary with stake size? This important question cannot be adequately answered if framing effects, nonlinear probability weighting, and heterogeneity of preference types are neglected. We show that, contrary to gains, no coherent change in relative risk aversion is observed for losses. The increase in relative risk aversion over gains cannot be captured by the curvature of the utility function. It is driven predominantly by a change in probability weighting of a majority group of individuals who exhibit more rational probability weighting at high stakes. These results not only challenge expected utility theory, but also prospect theory.

Keywords: Risk Aversion; Stake-Size Effect; Prospect Theory; Latent Heterogeneity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D81 C91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp and nep-upt
Date: 2007-07, Revised 2008-02
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http://www.soi.uzh.ch/research/wp/2007/wp0708.pdf Revised version, 2008 (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:soz:wpaper:0708

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