Simultaneous Risk Aversion and Risk-Seeking Behavior in an Expected Utility Framework with Optimism

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.B. Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Expected Utility ◽  
Risk Seeking ◽  
Seeking Behavior

Contrasting Rational and Psychological Analyses of Political Choice

1988 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 719-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Quattrone ◽  
Amos Tversky
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Prospect Theory ◽  
Expected Utility ◽  
Reference Point ◽  
Utility Theory ◽  
Expected Utility Theory ◽  
Risky Choice ◽  
Political Candidates ◽  
Risk Seeking ◽  
Psychological Analysis

We contrast the rational theory of choice in the form of expected utility theory with descriptive psychological analysis in the form of prospect theory, using problems involving the choice between political candidates and public referendum issues. The results showed that the assumptions underlying the classical theory of risky choice are systematically violated in the manner predicted by prospect theory. In particular, our respondents exhibited risk aversion in the domain of gains, risk seeking in the domain of losses, and a greater sensitivity to losses than to gains. This is consistent with the advantage of the incumbent under normal conditions and the potential advantage of the challenger in bad times. The results further show how a shift in the reference point could lead to reversals of preferences in the evaluation of political and economic options, contrary to the assumption of invariance. Finally, we contrast the normative and descriptive analyses of uncertainty in choice and address the rationality of voting.

Altered Risk-Aversion and Risk-Seeking Behavior in Bipolar Disorder

2009 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 840-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca A. Chandler ◽  
Judi Wakeley ◽  
Guy M. Goodwin ◽  
Robert D. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Risk Seeking ◽  
Seeking Behavior

Too Much to Lose: The Influence of Emotional Attachment on Risk Aversion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Lisheng Chan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Loss Aversion ◽  
Risk Averse ◽  
Emotional Attachment ◽  
Risk Seeking ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Loss Frame ◽  
Gain Frame ◽  
Mean Risk

Current literature suggests that the generalizability of the loss aversion hypothesis and in tandem risk aversion and framing effects may be less stable than previously specified. Hence, the current study seeks to investigate emotional attachment as a potential moderator of loss and subsequently risk aversion, helping inform both fields of economics and psychology in driving better policy and decision-making. 64 Temasek Polytechnic students, aged 16-23, were manipulated with either high or low emotional attachment towards an item and presented with an adapted Asian Disease Paradigm (Tversky & Kahneman, 1981) in either a gain or loss frame as a measure of the individual’s mean risk rating. ANOVA analysis revealed the stability of the loss aversion hypothesis identified in past literature – risk-averse behavior increased when a gain frame was presented, and risk-seeking behavior increased when a loss frame was presented. Critically, emotional attachment was found to moderate loss and risk aversion, validating past theoretical derivations (Ariely, Huber, & Wertenbroch, 2005; Novemsky & Kahneman, 2005): when emotional attachment was higher towards an item, participants displayed more risk-seeking behavior and more risk-averse behavior when in the context of losses and gains respectively, and displayed less risk-seeking and risk-averse behavior when they were less emotionally attached to an item in the same context of a gamble. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of nudging.

Salience and Mutual Fund Investor Demand for Idiosyncratic Volatility

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Clifford ◽  
Jon A. Fulkerson ◽  
Russell Jame ◽  
Bradford D. Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Mutual Funds ◽  
Mutual Fund ◽  
Idiosyncratic Volatility ◽  
Investor Attention ◽  
Risk Seeking ◽  
Retail Investors ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Extreme Returns

We find that mutual fund investors are more likely to both purchase and redeem funds with high idiosyncratic volatility (IV). Investors’ tendency to purchase high IV funds is largely driven by high IV funds having more extreme returns, which increases the salience of the fund. Including flexible controls for extreme past returns over multiple horizons decreases the effect of IV on new investment, and experimental evidence corroborates that increasing the salience of extreme returns increases investor demand for IV. Demand for IV is higher among retail investors and funds with otherwise lower salience. Collectively, the evidence suggests that extreme returns attract investor attention and contribute to investors’ risk seeking behavior when purchasing mutual funds. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, finance.

Disentangling Intertemporal Substitution and Risk Aversion Under the Expected Utility Theorem

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Oscar Lau
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Expected Utility ◽  
Axiomatic Approach ◽  
Intertemporal Substitution ◽  
Standard Time ◽  
Separable Form ◽  
Straightforward Extension

Abstract This paper presents an axiomatic approach to separately control for the attitudes toward intertemporal substitution and risk aversion under the expected utility theorem. The standard time-separable form is recovered only if the functions dictating the two attitudes are identical. Risk aversion is defined on consumption amount rather than on utility (as in Kihlstrom and Mirman (1974 and 1981)). Moreover, the agent is allowed to trade his lottery outcome to optimize his consumption. As a result, this approach provides a straightforward extension of the familiar Arrow-Pratt results to multiple periods. These include categorizing, measuring, and comparing risk aversions.

Nitrogen-Fixing Winter Cover Crops and Production Risk: A Case Study for No-Tillage Corn

1998 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Larson ◽  
Roland K. Roberts ◽  
Donald D. Tyler ◽  
Bob N. Duck ◽  
Stephen P. Slinsky
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Stochastic Dominance ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Risk Averse ◽  
Production Risk ◽  
Risk Seeking ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Net Revenue ◽  
Applied Nitrogen

AbstractWinter legumes can substitute for applied nitrogen fertilization of corn. Stochastic dominance was used to order net revenues from legume and applied nitrogen alternatives. Stochastic dominance orderings indicate that systems combining vetch with low applied nitrogen fertilization (50 and 100 pounds/acre, respectively) were risk inefficient. By contrast, vetch and 150 pounds/acre applied nitrogen maximized expected net revenue and was risk efficient for a wide range of risk-averse and risk-seeking behavior. Farmers with these risk attitudes may not reduce applied nitrogen if they switch to a vetch cover. Extremely risk-averse or risk-seeking farmers would not prefer winter legumes.

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