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Are Risk Aversion and Impatience Related to Cognitive Ability?

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Author Info
Thomas Dohmen () (IZA)
Armin Falk () (IZA, University of Bonn and CEPR)
David Huffman () (IZA)
Uwe Sunde () (IZA, University of Bonn and CEPR)

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Abstract

Is the way that people make risky choices, or tradeoffs over time, related to cognitive ability? This paper investigates whether there is a link between cognitive ability, risk aversion, and impatience, using a representative sample of the population and incentive compatible measures. We conduct choice experiments measuring risk aversion, and impatience over an annual time horizon, for a randomly drawn sample of roughly 1,000 German adults. Subjects also take part in two different tests of cognitive ability, which correspond to sub-modules of one of the most widely used IQ tests. Interviews are conducted in subjects' own homes. We find that lower cognitive ability is associated with significantly more impatient behavior in the experiments, and with greater risk aversion. This relationship is robust to controlling for personal characteristics, educational attainment, income, and measures of credit constraints. We perform a series of additional robustness checks, which help rule out other possible confounds.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 2735.

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Length: 54 pages
Date of creation: Apr 2007
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2735

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Related research
Keywords: risk preference; time preference; cognitive ability; field experiment;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
D90 - Microeconomics - - Intertemporal Choice and Growth - - - General
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, and Vacancies - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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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. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman, 2009. "The Economics and Psychology of Inequality and Human Development," NBER Working Papers 14695, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Maarten van Rooij & Annamaria Lusardi & Rob Alessi, 2007. "Financial literacy and stock market participation," DNB Working Papers 146, Netherlands Central Bank, Research Department. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Matthew Rabin & Georg Weizsäcker, 2007. "Narrow Bracketing and Dominated Choices," IZA Discussion Papers 3040, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  4. Sarah Jacobson & Ragan Petrie, 2009. "Learning from mistakes: What do inconsistent choices over risk tell us?," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 143-158, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Oechssler, Jörg & Roider, Andreas & Schmitz, Patrick W., 2008. "Cognitive Abilities and Behavioral Biases," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 08-05, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim & Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Galarza, Francisco, 2009. "Choices under Risk in Rural Peru," MPRA Paper 17708, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  8. Bauer, Michal & Chytilová, Julie, 2009. "The Impact of Education on the Subjective Discount Rate in Ugandan Villages," IZA Discussion Papers 4057, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  9. George M. Korniotis & Alok Kumar, 2008. "Do behavioral biases adversely affect the macro-economy?," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2008-49, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
  10. Grip Andries de & Smits Wendy, 2009. "What affects lifelong learning of scientists and engineers?," Research Memoranda 002, Maastricht : ROA, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market. [Downloadable!]
  11. Block, Joern & Sandner, Philipp & Spiegel, Frank, 2009. "Do risk attitudes differ within the group of entrepreneurs?," MPRA Paper 17587, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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