Linking Decision and Time Utilities
Abstract
This paper presents the functional relationship between two areas of interest in contemporary behavioral economics: one concerning choices under conditions of risk, the other concerning choices in time. The paper first presents the general formula of the relationship between decision utility, the survival function, and the discounting function, where decision utility is an alternative to Cumulative Prospect Theory in describing choices under risk (Kontek, 2010). The stretched exponential function appears to be a simple functional form of the resulting discounting function. Solutions obtained using more complex forms of decision utility and survival functions are also considered. These likewise lead to the stretched exponential discounting function. The paper shows that the relationship may also have other forms, including the hyperbolic functions typically used to describe the intertemporal experimental results. This solution has however several descriptive disadvantages, which restricts its common use in the description of lottery and intertemporal choices, and in financial asset valuations.Download Info
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Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 27541.Length:
Date of creation: 18 Dec 2010
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:27541
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Related research
Keywords: Discounted Utility; Hyperbolic Discounting; Decision Utility; Prospect Theory; Asset Valuation;Find related papers by JEL classification:
- D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Economics; Underlying Principles
- E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
- G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing
- D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
- D90 - Microeconomics - - Intertemporal Choice and Growth - - - General
- C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2011-01-03 (All new papers)
- NEP-CBE-2011-01-03 (Cognitive & Behavioural Economics)
- NEP-EVO-2011-01-03 (Evolutionary Economics)
- NEP-EXP-2011-01-03 (Experimental Economics)
- NEP-MAC-2011-01-03 (Macroeconomics)
- NEP-NEU-2011-01-03 (Neuroeconomics)
- NEP-UPT-2011-01-03 (Utility Models & Prospect Theory)
References
References listed on IDEASPlease 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.:
- Kontek, Krzysztof, 2010. "Decision Utility Theory: Back to von Neumann, Morgenstern, and Markowitz," MPRA Paper 27141, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Drazen Prelec & George Loewenstein, 1991. "Decision Making Over Time and Under Uncertainty: A Common Approach," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 37(7), pages 770-786, July.
- Steffen Andersen & Glenn W. Harrison & Morten Lau & Elisabet E. Rutstroem, 2011. "Discounting Behavior: A Reconsideration," Working Papers 2011_01, Durham University Business School.
- Amos Tversky & Daniel Kahneman, 1979.
"Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk,"
Levine's Working Paper Archive
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- Tversky, Amos & Kahneman, Daniel, 1992. " Advances in Prospect Theory: Cumulative Representation of Uncertainty," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 297-323, October.
- Shane Frederick & George Loewenstein & Ted O'Donoghue, 2002. "Time Discounting and Time Preference: A Critical Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(2), pages 351-401, June.
- Yoram Halevy, 2008.
"Strotz Meets Allais: Diminishing Impatience and the Certainty Effect,"
American Economic Review,
American Economic Association, vol. 98(3), pages 1145-62, June.
- Halevy, Yoram, 2004. "Strotz meets Allais: Diminishing Impatience and the Certainty Effect," Micro Theory Working Papers halevy-04-10-29-10-08-43, Microeconomics.ca Website, revised 19 Jun 2008.
- Kota Saito, 2009. "A Relationship between Risk and Time Preferences," Levine's Working Paper Archive 814577000000000269, David K. Levine.
- Read, Daniel, 2001. " Is Time-Discounting Hyperbolic or Subadditive?," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 5-32, July.
- Loewenstein, George & Prelec, Drazen, 1992. "Anomalies in Intertemporal Choice: Evidence and an Interpretation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 107(2), pages 573-97, May.
- Kota Saito, 2009. "A Relationship Between Risk and Time Preferences," Discussion Papers 1477, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
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