Investigating Risky Choices Over Losses Using Experimental Data

Charles Mason, Jason Shogren, Chad Settle and John List

Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 2005, vol. 31, issue 2, 187-215

Abstract: We conduct a battery of experiments in which agents make choices from several pairs of all-loss-lotteries. Using these choices, we estimate a representation of individual preferences over lotteries. We find statistically and economically significant departures from expected utility maximization for many subjects. We also estimate a preference representation based on summary statistics for behavior in the population of subjects, and again find departures from expected utility maximization. Our results suggest that public policies based on an expected utility approach could significantly underestimate preferences and willingness to pay for risk reduction. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2005

Keywords: risky decision-making; loss domain; experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (27)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:jrisku:v:31:y:2005:i:2:p:187-215

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DOI: 10.1007/s11166-005-3554-7

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