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First Degree Stochastic Dominance Violations: Decision Weights and Bounded Rationality

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  • Haim Levy

Abstract

Expected Utility Theory, Rank Dependent Expected Utility and Cumulative Prospect Theory imply no First Degree Stochastic Dominance (FSD) violations. Prospect Theory and Configural Weight models either allow for FSD violation or even predict this phenomenon. I find experimentally that FSD violations are not significant, and hence conclude that they are due to bounded rationality rather than to a systematic and predictable effect. Moreover, the more transparent the FSD, the less violations are observed, which supports the bounded rationality hypothesis. Therefore, based on the FSD violations observed in my experiments, the above three paradigms cannot be rejected.

Suggested Citation

  • Haim Levy, 2008. "First Degree Stochastic Dominance Violations: Decision Weights and Bounded Rationality," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(528), pages 759-774, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:econjl:v:118:y:2008:i:528:p:759-774
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02141.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Thomas Kourouxous & Thomas Bauer, 2019. "Violations of dominance in decision-making," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 209-239, April.
    4. Bernard, Carole & Chen, Jit Seng & Vanduffel, Steven, 2015. "Rationalizing investors’ choices," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 10-23.
    5. Wakker, Peter P., 2023. "A criticism of Bernheim & Sprenger's (2020) tests of rank dependence," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    6. Tabea Herrmann & Olaf Hübler & Lukas Menkhoff & Ulrich Schmidt, 2017. "Allais for the poor: Relations to ability, information processing, and risk attitudes," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 129-156, April.
    7. Behnam Malakooti & Mohamed Komaki & Camelia Al-Najjar, 2021. "Basic Geometric Dispersion Theory of Decision Making Under Risk: Asymmetric Risk Relativity, New Predictions of Empirical Behaviors, and Risk Triad," Decision Analysis, INFORMS, vol. 18(1), pages 41-77, March.
    8. Enrico Diecidue & Haim Levy & Moshe Levy, 2020. "Probability Dominance," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 102(5), pages 1006-1020, December.

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