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Income and choice under risk

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  • Hopland, Arnt O.
  • Matsen, Egil
  • Strøm, Bjarne

Abstract

This paper studies the relationship between income and risky choice in a field experiment where stakes are of first-order importance to the subjects’ living standards. We combine observations of stopping decisions in a Norwegian game show with reliable data on each subject’s income. Participants in the experiment are randomly drawn from an unusually large subject pool. Our results clearly indicate that people are risk-averse when making choices with large stakes, and that decision makers with high income are more willing to accept financial risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Hopland, Arnt O. & Matsen, Egil & Strøm, Bjarne, 2016. "Income and choice under risk," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 55-64.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:beexfi:v:12:y:2016:i:c:p:55-64
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbef.2016.09.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Arnaud Reynaud & Cécile Aubert, 2020. "Does flood experience modify risk preferences? Evidence from an artefactual field experiment in Vietnam," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 45(1), pages 36-74, March.
    2. Wright, Joshua, 2017. "To what extent does income predict an individual’s risk profile in the UK (2012- 2014)," MPRA Paper 80757, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Kumar, Satish & Rao, Sandeep & Goyal, Kirti & Goyal, Nisha, 2022. "Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance: A bibliometric overview," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    4. Ferdinand M. Vieider & Peter Martinsson & Pham Khanh Nam & Nghi Truong, 2019. "Risk preferences and development revisited," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 86(1), pages 1-21, February.
    5. Ranoua Bouchouicha & Ferdinand M. Vieider, 2019. "Growth, entrepreneurship, and risk-tolerance: a risk-income paradox," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 257-282, September.
    6. 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.
    7. Fang, Guanfu & Li, Wei & Zhu, Ying, 2022. "The shadow of the epidemic: Long-term impacts of meningitis exposure on risk preference and behaviors," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    8. Raymond Boadi Frempong & David Stadelmann, 2021. "Risk preference and child labor: Econometric evidence," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 878-894, May.
    9. Vieider, Ferdinand M. & Truong, Nghi & Martinsson, Peter & Pham Khanh Nam & Martinsson, Peter, 2013. "Risk preferences and development revisited: A field experiment in Vietnam," Discussion Papers, WZB Junior Research Group Risk and Development SP II 2013-403, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    10. Pham, Huong Dien, 2017. "Do cultural factors alter the relationship between risk attitudes and economic welfare?," TVSEP Working Papers wp-003, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Project TVSEP.
    11. Marie Lautrup & Lasse Læbo Matthiesen & Jette Bredahl Jacobsen & Toke Emil Panduro, 2023. "Welfare Effects and the Immaterial Costs of Coastal Flooding," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 85(2), pages 415-441, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Risky choice; Field experiment;

    JEL classification:

    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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