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A Good Sign for Multivariate Risk Taking

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Author Info
Louis Eeckhoudt ()
Béatrice Rey ()
Harris Schlesinger ()

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Abstract

Decisions under risk are often multidimensional, where the preferences of the decision maker depend on several attributes. For example, an individual might be concerned about both her level of wealth and the condition of her health. Many times the signs of successive cross derivatives of a utility function play an important role in these models. However, there has not been a simple and intuitive interpretation for the meaning of such derivatives. The purpose of this paper is to give such an interpretation. In particular, we provide an equivalence between the signs of these cross derivatives and individual preference within a particular class of simple lotteries.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by CESifo Group Munich in its series CESifo Working Paper Series with number CESifo Working Paper No. 1796.

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Date of creation: 2006
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Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1796

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Related research
Keywords: correlation aversion; multivariate risk; prudence; risk aversion; temperance;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Dardanoni, Valentino, 1988. "Optimal Choices under Uncertainty: The Case of Two-Argument Utility Functions," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 98(391), pages 429-50, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Atkinson, Anthony B & Bourguignon, Francois, 1982. "The Comparison of Multi-Dimensioned Distributions of Economic Status," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 49(2), pages 183-201, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Robert Eisner & Robert H. Strotz, 1961. "Flight Insurance and the Theory of Choice," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69, pages 355. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Sandmo, Agnar, 1970. "The Effect of Uncertainty on Saving Decisions," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 37(3), pages 353-60, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Milton Friedman & L. J. Savage, 1948. "The Utility Analysis of Choices Involving Risk," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56, pages 279. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Kimball, Miles S, 1993. "Standard Risk Aversion," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(3), pages 589-611, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Larry G. Epstein & Stephen M. Tanny, 1980. "Increasing Generalized Correlation: A Definition and Some Economic Consequences," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 13(1), pages 16-34, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Kimball, Miles S, 1990. "Precautionary Saving in the Small and in the Large," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(1), pages 53-73, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Bleichrodt, Han & Crainich, David & Eeckhoudt, Louis, 2003. "The effect of comorbidities on treatment decisions," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 805-820, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Viscusi, W Kip & Evans, William N, 1990. "Utility Functions That Depend on Health Status: Estimates and Economic Implications," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(3), pages 353-74, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Antoine Bommier, 2003. "Risk Aversion, Intertemporal Elasticity of Substitution and Correlation Aversion," Research Unit Working Papers 0307, Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquee, INRA. [Downloadable!]
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  12. Eaton, Jonathan & Rosen, Harvey S., 1980. "Labor supply, uncertainty, and efficient taxation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 365-374, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Béatrice Rey & Jean-Charles Rochet, 2004. "Health and Wealth: How do They Affect Individual Preferences?," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance Theory, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 43-54, 06. [Downloadable!]
  14. Tressler, J. H. & Menezes, C. F., 1980. "Labor supply and wage rate uncertainty," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 425-436, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Dardanoni, Valentino & Wagstaff, Adam, 1990. "Uncertainty and the demand for medical care," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 23-38, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Miles S. Kimball, 1991. "Precautionary Motives for Holding Assets," NBER Working Papers 3586, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Evans, William N & Viscusi, W Kip, 1991. "Estimation of State-Dependent Utility Functions Using Survey Data," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(1), pages 94-104, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Dreze, Jacques H. & Modigliani, Franco, 1972. "Consumption decisions under uncertainty," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 308-335, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Louis Eeckhoudt & Harris Schlesinger, 2006. "Putting Risk in Its Proper Place," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 280-289, March. [Downloadable!]
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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Marc Fleurbaey, 2006. "Health, equity and social welfare," Annales d'Economie et de Statistique, ADRES, issue 83-84, pages 02, Juillet-D. [Downloadable!]
  2. Mario Menegatti, 2009. "Optimal saving in the presence of two risks," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 96(3), pages 277-288, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Gollier, Christian, 2009. "Ecological Discounting," IDEI Working Papers 524, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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