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Does decision error decrease with risk aversion?

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  • David M. Bruner

    (Appalachian State University)

Abstract

There is substantial evidence that risky decision-making involves a stochastic error process. The literature has adopted different approaches to address this issue, however, risk preferences are not uniquely identified by the most popular methods; decision error is not predicted to monotonically decrease with risk aversion. This paper reports the results of an experiment that elicits risk preferences to identify risk averse individuals and evaluates the frequency the stochastically dominant of two lotteries is chosen. Risk averse subjects exhibit a strong preference for dominant lotteries. More importantly, violations are consistent with stochastic decision error that decreases with risk aversion.

Suggested Citation

  • David M. Bruner, 2017. "Does decision error decrease with risk aversion?," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 20(1), pages 259-273, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:expeco:v:20:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s10683-016-9484-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10683-016-9484-1
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    Cited by:

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    2. Amador-Hidalgo, Luis & Brañas-Garza, Pablo & Espín, Antonio M. & García-Muñoz, Teresa & Hernández-Román, Ana, 2021. "Cognitive abilities and risk-taking: Errors, not preferences," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Carlos Alós-Ferrer & Johannes Buckenmaier & Michele Garagnani, 2020. "Stochastic choice and preference reversals," ECON - Working Papers 370, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Jul 2021.
    4. Tomáš Jagelka, 2020. "Are Economists’ Preferences Psychologists’ Personality Traits? A Structural Approach," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 014, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    5. Thomas Kourouxous & Thomas Bauer, 2019. "Violations of dominance in decision-making," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 209-239, April.

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