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Do as I Do, Not as I Say: Incentivization and the Relationship Between Cognitive Ability and Risk Aversion

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  • Almeida, Sergio

Abstract

We study how the use of real and hypothetical choices to elicit risk preferences affect the statistical relationship between cognitive ability and risk aversion. Our experimental results suggest that such association is sensitive to incentive conditions of the choice problems used to elicit risk preferences. Individuals in the upper tail of the cognitive ability distribution are willing to take more risks. But this holds only when choices involve hypothetical payoffs. When choices are real, this correlation is found insignificant. Results are robust to using alternative measures of cognitive ability.

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  • Almeida, Sergio, 2019. "Do as I Do, Not as I Say: Incentivization and the Relationship Between Cognitive Ability and Risk Aversion," Revista Brasileira de Economia - RBE, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil), vol. 73(4), December.
    • Handle: RePEc:fgv:epgrbe:v:73:y:2019:i:4:a:19229
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    Cited by:

    1. Mariam Raheem & Ain ul Momina, 2021. "Do Underlying Risk Preferences explain Individuals’ Cognitive Ability? Evidence from a Sample of Pakistani Students," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 26(1), pages 85-122, Jan-June.

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