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Cognitive Function Is Associated with Risk Aversion in Community-Based Older Persons

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  • Boyle, Patricia A.
  • Yu, Lei
  • Buchman, Aron S.
  • Laibson, David I.
  • Bennett, David A.

Abstract

Background: Emerging data from younger and middle-aged persons suggest that cognitive ability is negatively associated with risk aversion, but this association has not been studied among older persons who are at high risk of experiencing loss of cognitive function. Methods: Using data from 369 community-dwelling older persons without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal epidemiologic study of aging, we examined the correlates of risk aversion and tested the hypothesis that cognition is negatively associated with risk aversion. Global cognition and five specific cognitive abilities were measured via detailed cognitive testing, and risk aversion was measured using standard behavioral economics questions in which participants were asked to choose between a certain monetary payment ($15) versus a gamble in which they could gain more than $15 or gain nothing; potential gamble gains ranged from $21.79 to $151.19 with the gain amounts varied randomly over questions. We first examined the bivariate associations of age, education, sex, income and cognition with risk aversion. Next, we examined the associations between cognition and risk aversion via mixed models adjusted for age, sex, education, and income. Finally, we conducted sensitivity analyses to ensure that our results were not driven by persons with preclinical cognitive impairment. Results: In bivariate analyses, sex, education, income and global cognition were associated with risk aversion. However, in a mixed effect model, only sex (estimate = -1.49, standard error (SE) = 0.39, p

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  • Boyle, Patricia A. & Yu, Lei & Buchman, Aron S. & Laibson, David I. & Bennett, David A., 2011. "Cognitive Function Is Associated with Risk Aversion in Community-Based Older Persons," Scholarly Articles 9938145, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hrv:faseco:9938145
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    2. 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.
    3. Clare Andrews & Daniel Nettle & Sophie Reichert & Tom Bedford & Pat Monaghan & Melissa Bateson, 2018. "A marker of biological ageing predicts adult risk preference in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 29(3), pages 589-597.
    4. Thomas Meissner & Xavier Gassmann & Corinne Faure & Joachim Schleich, 2023. "Individual characteristics associated with risk and time preferences: A multi country representative survey," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 77-107, February.
    5. Boyle, Patricia A & Yu, Lei & Segawa, Eisuke & Wilson, Robert S & Buchman, Aron S & Laibson, David I. & Bennett, David A, 2012. "Association of cognition with temporal discounting in community based older persons," Scholarly Articles 11726269, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    6. Bryan D James & Patricia A Boyle & Lei Yu & S Duke Han & David A Bennett, 2015. "Cognitive Decline Is Associated with Risk Aversion and Temporal Discounting in Older Adults without Dementia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-12, April.
    7. Muhammad Sajid & Matthew C. Li, 2019. "The role of cognitive reflection in decision making: Evidence from Pakistani managers," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 14(5), pages 591-604, September.

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