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Expected balanced uncertain utility

Author

Listed:
  • Grant, Simon

    (Research School of Economics, Australian National University)

  • Roorda, Berend

    (Department of Economics, University Twente)

  • Yang, Jingni

    (School of Economics, University of Sydney)

Abstract

We introduce and analyze expected balanced uncertain utility (EBUU) theory. A prior and a balanced outcome-set utility characterize an EBUU decision maker. Conditional on a reference or ``balancing value'', the latter assigns a utility to each outcome-set. The decision maker associates with each act, its envelope, the minimal measurable mapping from states to outcome-sets that contains the act. She then (implicitly) ranks an act according to the balancing value at which the expected balanced utility of its associated envelope is zero. As a consequence her risk preferences need only exhibit betweenness allowing or behavior that can accommodate Allais-type paradoxes.

Suggested Citation

  • Grant, Simon & Roorda, Berend & Yang, Jingni, 2025. "Expected balanced uncertain utility," Theoretical Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 20(1), January.
    • Handle: RePEc:the:publsh:5404
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chew, Soo Hong, 1983. "A Generalization of the Quasilinear Mean with Applications to the Measurement of Income Inequality and Decision Theory Resolving the Allais Paradox," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 51(4), pages 1065-1092, July.
    2. Jiankang Zhang, 2002. "Subjective ambiguity, expected utility and Choquet expected utility," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 20(1), pages 159-181.
    3. Grant, Simon, 1995. "Subjective Probability without Monotonicity: Or How Machina's Mom May Also Be Probabilistically Sophisticated," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 63(1), pages 159-189, January.
    4. Dekel, Eddie, 1986. "An axiomatic characterization of preferences under uncertainty: Weakening the independence axiom," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 304-318, December.
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    JEL classification:

    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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