Migrations, risks, and uncertainty: A field experiment in China

Li Hao, Daniel Houser, Lei Mao and Marie Claire Villeval

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2016, vol. 131, issue PA, 126-140

Abstract: We report data from the first incentivized artefactual field experiment conducted in China to understand whether Chinese migrants differ from non-migrants in terms of preferences regarding risk and uncertainty in various contexts. We find that, compared to non-migrants, migrants are significantly more likely to enter competitions when they expect competitive entries from others; however, migrants are not different from non-migrants in risk and ambiguity preferences where strategic uncertainty is absent. Our results suggest that migration may be driven more by a stronger belief in one’s chance of succeeding in an uncertain competitive environment than by differences risk attitudes related to state uncertainty.

Keywords: Migration; Field experiment; Risk preferences; Competitiveness; Strategic uncertainty; Ambiguity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D03 D63 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Working Paper: Migrations, risks, and uncertainty: A field experiment in China (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:131:y:2016:i:pa:p:126-140

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2016.08.008

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