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Experiments on risk attitude: The case of Chinese students

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  • Sasaki, Shunichiro
  • Xie, Shiyu
  • Ohtake, Fumio
  • Qin, Jie
  • Tsutsui, Yoshiro

Abstract

This paper examines Chinese students' risk attitudes using selling and buying experiments with lotteries. We found that subjects were more risk averse during the buying experiment than during the selling experiment, suggesting an endowment effect. In the selling experiment, subjects were risk loving when there was a low win probability and risk averse with a high win probability, whereas they were risk averse in the buying experiment. Using the prize money won during the experiment as a measure of wealth, we found decreasing absolute risk aversion. Subjects' risk attitudes as revealed in the experiments explain their risky asset holding behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Sasaki, Shunichiro & Xie, Shiyu & Ohtake, Fumio & Qin, Jie & Tsutsui, Yoshiro, 2008. "Experiments on risk attitude: The case of Chinese students," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 245-259, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:19:y:2008:i:2:p:245-259
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    2. Shunichiro Sasaki & Shiyu Xie & Shinsuke IkedaAuthor-Name: & Jie Qin & Yoshiro Tsutsui, 2008. "Time Discounting: The Delay Effect and Procrastinating Behavior," ISER Discussion Paper 0726, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    3. Jing, Lin & Cheo, Roland, 2013. "House money effects, risk preferences and the public goods game," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 310-313.
    4. Jiaxi Peng & Danmin Miao & Wei Xiao, 2013. "Why are gainers more risk seeking," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 8(2), pages 150-160, March.

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