IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jetheo/v148y2013i6p2706-2718.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Substituting one risk increase for another: A method for measuring risk aversion

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Liqun
  • Meyer, Jack

Abstract

This paper defines the rate of substitution of one stochastic change to a random variable for another. It then focuses on the case where one of these changes is an nth degree risk increase, and the other is an mth degree risk increase, where n>m⩾1. The paper shows that the rate of substitution for these two risk increases can be used to provide a broader definition and two additional characterizations of the nth degree Ross more risk averse partial order. The implications for local intensity measures of nth degree risk aversion are also examined. The analysis organizes the existing results as well as generates new ones.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Liqun & Meyer, Jack, 2013. "Substituting one risk increase for another: A method for measuring risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 148(6), pages 2706-2718.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:148:y:2013:i:6:p:2706-2718
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2013.10.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022053113001737
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jet.2013.10.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carmen F. Menezes & X. Henry Wang, 2004. "On the Risk–Downside Risk Tradeoff," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 72(2), pages 179-187, March.
    2. Kimball, Miles S, 1990. "Precautionary Saving in the Small and in the Large," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(1), pages 53-73, January.
    3. Menezes, Carmen F. & Wang, X.Henry, 2005. "Increasing outer risk," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(7), pages 875-886, November.
    4. Michel M. Denuit & Louis Eeckhoudt, 2010. "A General Index of Absolute Risk Attitude," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(4), pages 712-715, April.
    5. Modica, Salvatore & Scarsini, Marco, 2005. "A note on comparative downside risk aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 122(2), pages 267-271, June.
    6. Denuit, M. & Eeckhoudt L., 2010. "A general index of absolute risk attitude," LIDAM Discussion Papers ISBA 2010013, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
    7. Eeckhoudt, Louis & Schlesinger, Harris, 2009. "On the utility premium of Friedman and Savage," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 105(1), pages 46-48, October.
    8. Denuit, Michel & Eeckhoudt, Louis, 2010. "Stronger measures of higher-order risk attitudes," LIDAM Discussion Papers ISBA 2010010, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
    9. Denuit, Michel M. & Eeckhoudt, Louis, 2010. "Stronger measures of higher-order risk attitudes," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 145(5), pages 2027-2036, September.
    10. David Crainich & Louis Eeckhoudt, 2008. "On the intensity of downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 267-276, June.
    11. Keenan, Donald C & Snow, Arthur, 2002. "Greater Downside Risk Aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 267-277, May.
    12. Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2012. "Decreasing absolute risk aversion, prudence and increased downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 243-260, June.
    13. Louis Eeckhoudt & Harris Schlesinger, 2006. "Putting Risk in Its Proper Place," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 280-289, March.
    14. Keenan, Donald C. & Snow, Arthur, 2009. "Greater downside risk aversion in the large," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 144(3), pages 1092-1101, May.
    15. Ross, Stephen A, 1981. "Some Stronger Measures of Risk Aversion in the Small and the Large with Applications," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(3), pages 621-638, May.
    16. Denuit, Michel M. & Eeckhoudt, Louis & Schlesinger, Harris, 2013. "When Ross meets Bell: The linex utility function," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 177-182.
    17. Caballe, Jordi & Pomansky, Alexey, 1996. "Mixed Risk Aversion," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 485-513, November.
    18. Rothschild, Michael & Stiglitz, Joseph E., 1970. "Increasing risk: I. A definition," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 225-243, September.
    19. W. Henry Chiu, 2005. "Skewness Preference, Risk Aversion, and the Precedence Relations on Stochastic Changes," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(12), pages 1816-1828, December.
    20. Machina, Mark J & Neilson, William S, 1987. "The Ross Characterization of Risk Aversion: Strengthening and Extension," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(5), pages 1139-1149, September.
    21. Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2013. "Normalized measures of concavity and Ross’s strongly more risk averse order," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 185-198, October.
    22. Pratt, John W, 1990. "The Logic of Partial-Risk Aversion: Paradox Lost," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 105-113, June.
    23. Kihlstrom, Richard E & Romer, David & Williams, Steve, 1981. "Risk Aversion with Random Initial Wealth," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(4), pages 911-920, June.
    24. Ekern, Steinar, 1980. "Increasing Nth degree risk," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 329-333.
    25. Milton Friedman & L. J. Savage, 1948. "The Utility Analysis of Choices Involving Risk," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(4), pages 279-279.
    26. Nachman, David C., 1982. "Preservation of "more risk averse" under expectations," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 361-368, December.
    27. Menezes, C & Geiss, C & Tressler, J, 1980. "Increasing Downside Risk," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(5), pages 921-932, December.
    28. Denuit, M. & Eeckhoudt, L., 2010. "A General Index of Absolute Risk Attitude," LIDAM Reprints ISBA 2010026, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
    29. Li, Jingyuan, 2009. "Comparative higher-degree Ross risk aversion," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 333-336, December.
    30. Jindapon, Paan & Neilson, William S., 2007. "Higher-order generalizations of Arrow-Pratt and Ross risk aversion: A comparative statics approach," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 719-728, September.
    31. Louis Eeckhoudt, 2012. "Beyond Risk Aversion: Why, How and What's Next?*," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 37(2), pages 141-155, September.
    32. Pratt, John W, 1988. "Aversion to One Risk in the Presence of Others," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 395-413, December.
    33. David E. Bell, 1988. "One-Switch Utility Functions and a Measure of Risk," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(12), pages 1416-1424, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Paan Jindapon & Liqun Liu & William S. Neilson, 2021. "Comparative risk apportionment," Economic Theory Bulletin, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 9(1), pages 91-112, April.
    2. Liqun Liu & William S. Neilson, 2019. "Alternative Approaches to Comparative n th-Degree Risk Aversion," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(8), pages 3824-3834, August.
    3. Louis Eeckhoudt & Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2017. "Restricted increases in risk aversion and their application," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 64(1), pages 161-181, June.
    4. Li, Jingyuan & Liu, Liqun, 2014. "The monetary utility premium and interpersonal comparisons," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 125(2), pages 257-260.
    5. AJ A. Bostian & Christoph Heinzel, 2018. "Comparative precautionary saving under higher-order risk and recursive utility," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 43(1), pages 95-114, May.
    6. James Huang & Richard Stapleton, 2017. "Higher-order risk vulnerability," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 63(2), pages 387-406, February.
    7. Heinzel, Christoph, 2023. "Comparing utility derivative premia under additive and multiplicative risks," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 23-40.
    8. Wang, Jianli & Li, Jingyuan, 2014. "Decreasing Ross risk aversion: Higher-order generalizations and implications," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 136-142.
    9. AJ A. Bostian & Christoph Heinzel, 2018. "Comparative precautionary saving under higher-order risk and recursive utility," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance Theory, Springer;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 43(1), pages 95-114, May.
    10. Georges Dionne & Jingyuan Li & Cedric Okou, 2012. "An Extension of the Consumption-based CAPM Model," Cahiers de recherche 1214, CIRPEE.
    11. Denuit, M. & Eeckhoudt, L., 2012. "Risk Attitudes and the Value of Risk Transformations," LIDAM Discussion Papers ISBA 2012007, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
    12. Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2012. "Decreasing absolute risk aversion, prudence and increased downside risk aversion," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 243-260, June.
    13. Denuit, Michel M. & Eeckhoudt, Louis & Schlesinger, Harris, 2013. "When Ross meets Bell: The linex utility function," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 177-182.
    14. Michel Denuit & Liqun Liu, 2014. "Decreasing higher-order absolute risk aversion and higher-degree stochastic dominance," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 76(2), pages 287-295, February.
    15. Christoph Heinzel, 2014. "Term structure of discount rates under multivariate s-ordered consumption growth," Working Papers SMART 14-01, INRAE UMR SMART.
    16. Michel M. Denuit & Louis Eeckhoudt, 2013. "Risk attitudes and the value of risk transformations," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 9(3), pages 245-254, September.
    17. Liqun Liu & Jack Meyer, 2013. "Normalized measures of concavity and Ross’s strongly more risk averse order," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 185-198, October.
    18. Jingyuan Li & Georges Dionne, 2010. "A Theoretical Extension of the Consumption-based CAPM Model," Cahiers de recherche 1047, CIRPEE.
    19. Dionne, Georges & Li, Jingyuan, 2014. "Comparative Ross risk aversion in the presence of mean dependent risks," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 128-135.
    20. Denuit, Michel & Liu, Liqun, 2013. "Decreasing higher-order absolute risk aversion and higher-degree stochastic dominance," LIDAM Discussion Papers ISBA 2013007, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Risk premium; Rate of substitution; Risk aversion; Comparative risk aversion; Expected utility model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

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

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:148:y:2013:i:6:p:2706-2718. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622869 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.