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Rationality on the Rise: Why Relative Risk Aversion Increases with Stake Size

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Author Info
Helga Fehr-Duda () (Institute of Economic Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich)
Adrian Bruhin () (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)
Thomas Epper () (Institute of Economic Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich)
Renate Schubert () (Institute of Economic Research, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich)

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Abstract

How does risk tolerance vary with stake size? This important question cannot be adequately answered if framing effects, nonlinear probability weighting, and heterogeneity of preference types are neglected. We show that, contrary to gains, no coherent change in relative risk aversion is observed for losses. The increase in relative risk aversion over gains cannot be captured by the curvature of the utility function. It is driven predominantly by a change in probability weighting of a majority group of individuals who exhibit more rational probability weighting at high stakes. These results not only challenge expected utility theory, but also prospect theory.

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File URL: http://www.soi.uzh.ch/research/wp/2007/wp0708.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute in its series Working Papers with number 0708.

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Length: 33 pages
Date of creation: Jul 2007
Date of revision: Feb 2008
Handle: RePEc:soz:wpaper:0708

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Related research
Keywords: Risk Aversion; Stake-Size Effect; Prospect Theory; Latent Heterogeneity;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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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. Dennis Gaertner & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "Merger Negotiations and Ex-Post Regret," Working Papers 0607, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Dec 2007. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Adrian Bruhin & Thomas Epper, 2007. "Risk and Rationality: Uncovering Heterogeneity in Probability Distortion," Working Papers 0705, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Jul 2007. [Downloadable!]
  3. Rafael Lalive & Armin Schmutzler, 2005. "Exploring the Effects of Competition for Railway Markets," Working Papers 0511, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Hans Gersbach & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "A Product-Market Theory of Industry-Specific Training," Working Papers 0610, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  5. Philippe Mahler & Rainer Winkelmann, 2005. "Single Motherhood and (Un)Equal EducationalOpportunities: Evidence for Germany," Working Papers 0512, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Hans Gersbach & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "Foreign Direct Investment and R&D offshoring," Working Papers 0606, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Boes, Stefan & Winkelmann, Rainer, 2004. "Income and Happiness: New Results from Generalized Threshold and Sequential Models," IZA Discussion Papers 1175, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  8. Rafael Lalive & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "Entry in liberalized railway markets: The German experience," Working Papers 0609, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
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  9. Stefan Boes & Markus Lipp & Rainer Winkelmann, 2005. "Money Illusion Under Test," Working Papers 0514, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Gersbach, Hans & Schmutzler, Armin, 2007. "Does Globalization Create Superstars?," CEPR Discussion Papers 6222, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  11. Dennis L. Gärtner & Daniel Halbheer, 2008. "Are There Waves in Merger Activity After All?," Working Papers 0092, University of Zurich, Institute for Strategy and Business Economics (ISU). [Downloadable!]
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  12. Sandra Hanslin & Rainer Winkelmann, 2006. "The Apple Falls Increasingly Far: Parent-Child Correlation in Schooling and the Growth of Post-Secondary Education in Switzerland," Working Papers 0603, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  13. Stefan Boes & Rainer Winkelmann, 2006. "The Effect of Income on Positive and Negative Subjective Well-Being," Working Papers 0605, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  14. Samuel Muehlemann & Juerg Schweri & Rainer Winkelmann & Stefan C. Wolter, 2005. "A Structural Model of Demand for Apprentices," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
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  15. Thomas Borek & Stefan Buehler & Armin Schmutzler, 2004. "Mergers under Asymmetric Information – Is there a Lemons Problem?," Working Papers 0408, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  16. Donja Darai & Dario Sacco & Armin Schmutzler, 2009. "Competition and Innovation: An Experimental Investigation," Working Papers 0608, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
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  17. Yves Schneider & Peter Zweifel, 2005. "Spatial Effects in Willingness-to-Pay: The Case of Two Nuclear Risks," Working Papers 0502, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Sep 2007. [Downloadable!]
  18. Stefan Boes, 2007. "Count Data Models with Unobserved Heterogeneity: An Empirical Likelihood Approach," Working Papers 0704, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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. Dario Sacco & Armin Schmutzler, 2008. "Competition and Innovation: An Experimental Investigation," Working Papers 0807, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Sandra Hanslin, 2008. "The effect of trade openness on optimal government size under endogenous firm entry," Working Papers 0802, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  3. Johannes Schoder & Peter Zweifel, 2008. "Managed Care Konzepte und Lösungsansätze– Ein internationaler Vergleich aus schweizerischer Sicht," Working Papers 0801, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  4. Koch, Christopher & Schunk, Daniel, 2007. "The Case for Limited Auditor Liability - The Effects of Liability Size on Risk Aversion and Ambiguity Aversion," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 07-04, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim & Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim. [Downloadable!]
  5. Hopfensitz, Astrid, 2009. "Previous outcomes and reference dependence: A meta study of repeated investment tasks with and without restricted feedback," MPRA Paper 16096, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  6. Dennis Gaertner, 2007. "Monopolistic Screening under Learning By Doing," Working Papers 0718, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  7. Josef Falkinger, 2008. "Between Agora and Shopping Mall," Working Papers 0805, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Adrian Bruhin, 2008. "Stochastic Expected Utility and Prospect Theory in a Horse Race: A Finite Mixture Approach," Working Papers 0803, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  9. Dennis Gaertner, 2007. "Why Bayes Rules: A Note on Bayesian vs. Classical Inference in Regime Switching Models," Working Papers 0719, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  10. Dario Sacco & Armin Schmutzler, 2008. "All-Pay Auctions with Negative Prize Externalities: Theory and Experimental Evidence," Working Papers 0806, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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