IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jetheo/v144y2009i3p1092-1101.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Greater downside risk aversion in the large

Author

Listed:
  • Keenan, Donald C.
  • Snow, Arthur

Abstract

In this paper, we advance a definition of greater downside risk aversion that applies to both large and small changes in risk preference, and thereby complements the results for small changes reported previously. We show that a downside risk-averse transformation of a utility function results in a function that is more downside risk averse in the same manner that a risk-averse transformation increases risk aversion. Our demonstration is conducted first by using the compensated approach introduced by Diamond and Stiglitz [P. Diamond, J. Stiglitz, Increases in risk and in risk aversion, J. Econ. Theory 8 (1974) 337-360] and then by using an adaptation of the risk premium approach taken by Pratt [J. Pratt, Risk aversion in the small and in the large, Econometrica 32 (1964) 122-136].

Suggested Citation

  • Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2009. "Greater downside risk aversion in the large," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 144(3), pages 1092-1101, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:144:y:2009:i:3:p:1092-1101
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022-0531(08)00133-6
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Modica, Salvatore & Scarsini, Marco, 2005. "A note on comparative downside risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 267-271, June.
    2. Keenan, Donald C & Snow, Arthur, 2002. "Greater Downside Risk Aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 267-277, May.
    3. Diamond, Peter A. & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1974. "Increases in risk and in risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 337-360, July.
    4. Menezes, C & Geiss, C & Tressler, J, 1980. "Increasing Downside Risk," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(5), pages 921-932, December.
    5. Kimball, Miles S, 1990. "Precautionary Saving in the Small and in the Large," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(1), pages 53-73, January.
    6. Ross, Stephen A, 1981. "Some Stronger Measures of Risk Aversion in the Small and the Large with Applications," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(3), pages 621-638, May.
    7. Kimball, Miles S, 1993. "Standard Risk Aversion," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(3), pages 589-611, May.
    8. Jindapon, Paan & Neilson, William S., 2007. "Higher-order generalizations of Arrow-Pratt and Ross risk aversion: A comparative statics approach," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 719-728, September.
    9. Hayne E. Leland, 1968. "Saving and Uncertainty: The Precautionary Demand for Saving," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 82(3), pages 465-473.
    10. Rothschild, Michael & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1970. "Increasing risk: I. A definition," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 225-243, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Donald Keenan & Arthur Snow, 2012. "The Schwarzian derivative as a ranking of downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 149-160, April.
    2. Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2010. "Greater prudence and greater downside risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 145(5), pages 2018-2026, September.
    3. Jouini, Elyès & Napp, Clotilde & Nocetti, Diego, 2013. "On multivariate prudence," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(3), pages 1255-1267.
    4. Liu, Liqun & Meyer, Jack, 2013. "Substituting one risk increase for another: A method for measuring risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(6), pages 2706-2718.
    5. De Donno, Marzia & Menegatti, Mario, 2022. "On the relationship between comparisons of risk aversion of different orders," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Richard Peter, 2021. "Who should exert more effort? Risk aversion, downside risk aversion and optimal prevention," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 71(4), pages 1259-1281, June.
    7. Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2022. "Reversibly greater downside risk aversion by a prudence-based measure," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    8. Liqun Liu & William S. Neilson, 2019. "Alternative Approaches to Comparative n th-Degree Risk Aversion," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(8), pages 3824-3834, August.
    9. James Huang & Richard Stapleton, 2017. "Higher-order risk vulnerability," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 63(2), pages 387-406, February.
    10. Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2017. "Greater parametric downside risk aversion," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 119-128.
    11. Donald C. Keenan & Arthur Snow, 2022. "Reversibly greater downside risk aversion," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 47(2), pages 327-338, September.
    12. Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2018. "Bringing order to rankings of utility functions by strong increases in nth order aversion to risk," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 35-44.
    13. Jindapon, Paan, 2010. "Prudence probability premium," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 109(1), pages 34-37, October.
    14. Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2012. "Decreasing absolute risk aversion, prudence and increased downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 243-260, June.
    15. Donald C. Keenan & Arthur Snow, 2016. "Strong Increases in Downside Risk Aversion," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance Theory, Springer;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 41(2), pages 149-161, September.
    16. Richard Peter, 2021. "A fresh look at primary prevention for health risks," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 1247-1254, May.
    17. Richard Watt & Francisco J. Vazquez, 2013. "Allocative downside risk aversion," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 9(4), pages 267-277, December.
    18. Donald C. Keenan & Arthur Snow, 2016. "Strong Increases in Downside Risk Aversion," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 41(2), pages 149-161, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Paan Jindapon & Liqun Liu & William S. Neilson, 2021. "Comparative risk apportionment," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 9(1), pages 91-112, April.
    2. Denuit, Michel M. & Eeckhoudt, Louis & Schlesinger, Harris, 2013. "When Ross meets Bell: The linex utility function," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 177-182.
    3. Donald C. Keenan & Arthur Snow, 2016. "Strong Increases in Downside Risk Aversion," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance Theory, Springer;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 41(2), pages 149-161, September.
    4. David Crainich & Louis Eeckhoudt, 2008. "On the intensity of downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 267-276, June.
    5. James Huang & Richard Stapleton, 2017. "Higher-order risk vulnerability," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 63(2), pages 387-406, February.
    6. Liu, Liqun, 2014. "Precautionary saving in the large: nth degree deteriorations in future income," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 169-172.
    7. Liu, Liqun & Meyer, Jack, 2013. "Substituting one risk increase for another: A method for measuring risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(6), pages 2706-2718.
    8. Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2017. "Greater parametric downside risk aversion," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 119-128.
    9. Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2012. "Decreasing absolute risk aversion, prudence and increased downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 243-260, June.
    10. Donald C. Keenan & Arthur Snow, 2016. "Strong Increases in Downside Risk Aversion," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 41(2), pages 149-161, September.
    11. Liqun Liu & William S. Neilson, 2019. "Alternative Approaches to Comparative n th-Degree Risk Aversion," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(8), pages 3824-3834, August.
    12. W. Henry Chiu, 2005. "Skewness Preference, Risk Aversion, and the Precedence Relations on Stochastic Changes," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(12), pages 1816-1828, December.
    13. Christian Gollier & James Hammitt & Nicolas Treich, 2013. "Risk and choice: A research saga," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 129-145, October.
    14. Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2010. "Greater prudence and greater downside risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 145(5), pages 2018-2026, September.
    15. Jouini, Elyès & Napp, Clotilde & Nocetti, Diego, 2013. "On multivariate prudence," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(3), pages 1255-1267.
    16. Donald Keenan & Arthur Snow, 2012. "The Schwarzian derivative as a ranking of downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 149-160, April.
    17. Liqun Liu & Nicolas Treich, 2021. "Optimality of winner-take-all contests: the role of attitudes toward risk," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 1-25, August.
    18. Richard Watt & Francisco J. Vazquez, 2013. "Allocative downside risk aversion," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 9(4), pages 267-277, December.
    19. Heinzel, Christoph, 2023. "Comparing utility derivative premia under additive and multiplicative risks," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 23-40.
    20. Crainich, David & Eeckhoudt, Louis & Le Courtois, Olivier, 2014. "Decreasing downside risk aversion and background risk," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 59-63.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:144:y:2009:i:3:p:1092-1101. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622869 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.