IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/mateco/v97y2021ics0304406821000999.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Comparative risk aversion with two risks

Author

Listed:
  • Wong, Kit Pong

Abstract

This paper characterizes aversion to one risk in the presence of another, which is invulnerable to the size of exposure to the former risk and consistent with the common bivariate risk preferences for combining good with bad. We show that all bivariate utility functions that satisfy bivariate risk apportionment exhibit risk aversion with two risks if, and only if, the dependence structure of the two risks is characterized by the notion of expectation dependence. We then propose an intensity measure of risk aversion with two risks that is based on the utility premium normalized by the marginal utility evaluated at an arbitrarily chosen pair. We show that the intensity measure being uniformly larger is equivalent to the concept of greater generalized Ross risk aversion. An application for optimal prevention in a two-period model is presented when the dependence structure of the underlying random variables is governed by the notion of expectation dependence.

Suggested Citation

  • Wong, Kit Pong, 2021. "Comparative risk aversion with two risks," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:mateco:v:97:y:2021:i:c:s0304406821000999
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jmateco.2021.102536
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304406821000999
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jmateco.2021.102536?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. Courbage, Christophe & Rey, Béatrice, 2012. "Optimal prevention and other risks in a two-period model," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 213-217.
    2. Menegatti, Mario, 2009. "Optimal prevention and prudence in a two-period model," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 393-397, November.
    3. Denuit, Michel M. & Mesfioui, Mhamed, 2017. "Preserving the Rothschild–Stiglitz type increase in risk with background risk: A characterization," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-5.
    4. Michel Denuit & Rachel Huang & Larry Tzeng, 2015. "Almost expectation and excess dependence notions," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 79(3), pages 375-401, November.
    5. Henry Chiu, W., 2020. "Financial risk taking in the presence of correlated non-financial background risk," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 167-179.
    6. Gollier, Christian, 2021. "A general theory of risk apportionment," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    7. Louis Eeckhoudt & Béatrice Rey & Harris Schlesinger, 2007. "A Good Sign for Multivariate Risk Taking," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(1), pages 117-124, January.
    8. Denuit, Michel & Mesfioui, Mhamed, 2017. "Preserving the Rothschild–Stiglitz type increase in risk with background risk: A characterization," LIDAM Reprints ISBA 2017002, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA).
    9. Louis Eeckhoudt & Harris Schlesinger, 2006. "Putting Risk in Its Proper Place," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(1), pages 280-289, March.
    10. 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.
    11. Li, Jingyuan & Liu, Dongri & Wang, Jianli, 2016. "Risk aversion with two risks: A theoretical extension," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 100-105.
    12. Crainich, David & Eeckhoudt, Louis & Courtois, Olivier Le, 2020. "Intensity of preferences for bivariate risk apportionment," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 153-160.
    13. 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.
    14. Scott F. Richard, 1975. "Multivariate Risk Aversion, Utility Independence and Separable Utility Functions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 12-21, September.
    15. 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.
    16. Li, Jingyuan & Liu, Liqun, 2014. "The monetary utility premium and interpersonal comparisons," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 125(2), pages 257-260.
    17. Cuadras, C. M., 2002. "On the Covariance between Functions," Journal of Multivariate Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 19-27, April.
    18. Jokung, Octave, 2011. "Risk apportionment via bivariate stochastic dominance," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(4-5), pages 448-452.
    19. Xue, Minggao & Cheng, Wen, 2013. "Background risk, bivariate risk attitudes, and optimal prevention," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 390-395.
    20. 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.
    21. 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.
    22. Li, Jingyuan, 2011. "The demand for a risky asset in the presence of a background risk," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(1), pages 372-391, January.
    23. Wong, Kit Pong, 2017. "A note on risky targets and effort," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 27-30.
    24. Finkelshtain, Israel & Kella, Offer & Scarsini, Marco, 1999. "On risk aversion with two risks," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 239-250, March.
    25. Wong, Kit Pong, 2016. "Precautionary self-insurance-cum-protection," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 152-156.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kit Pong Wong, 2022. "Production and hedging under correlated price and background risks," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 45(1), pages 241-256, June.
    2. Wong, Kit Pong, 2022. "Diversification and risk attitudes toward two risks," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).

    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. Wong, Kit Pong, 2022. "Diversification and risk attitudes toward two risks," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    2. Crainich, David & Eeckhoudt, Louis & Courtois, Olivier Le, 2020. "Intensity of preferences for bivariate risk apportionment," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 153-160.
    3. Li, Jingyuan & Liu, Dongri & Wang, Jianli, 2016. "Risk aversion with two risks: A theoretical extension," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 100-105.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Dionne, Georges & Li, Jingyuan, 2012. "Comparative Ross risk aversion in the presence of quadrant dependent risks," Working Papers 12-7, HEC Montreal, Canada Research Chair in Risk Management.
    7. Georges Dionne & Jingyuan Li & Cedric Okou, 2012. "An Extension of the Consumption-based CAPM Model," Cahiers de recherche 1214, CIRPEE.
    8. Crainich, David & Eeckhoudt, Louis & Le Courtois, Olivier, 2017. "Health and portfolio choices: A diffidence approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(1), pages 273-279.
    9. Kit Pong Wong, 2022. "Production and hedging under correlated price and background risks," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 45(1), pages 241-256, June.
    10. Wang, Jianli & Wang, Hongxia & Yick, Ho Yin, 2019. "How do changes in risk and risk aversion affect self-protection with Selden/Kreps–Porteus preferences?," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 1-6.
    11. 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.
    12. Li, Jingyuan & Wang, Jianli & Zhou, Lin, 2024. "Correlation aversion and bivariate stochastic dominance with respect to reference functions," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 157-174.
    13. Heinzel, Christoph, 2023. "Comparing utility derivative premia under additive and multiplicative risks," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 23-40.
    14. Jingyuan Li & Georges Dionne, 2010. "A Theoretical Extension of the Consumption-based CAPM Model," Cahiers de recherche 1047, CIRPEE.
    15. 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.
    16. Liqun Liu & Nicolas Treich, 2021. "Optimality of winner-take-all contests: the role of attitudes toward risk," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 1-25, August.
    17. Georges Dionne & Jingyuan Li & Cédric Okou, 2024. "An alternative representation of the C-CAPM with higher-order risks," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 49(2), pages 194-233, September.
    18. Tao Yuqing & Mei Jie & Cheng Wen & Zou Sijie, 2019. "Precautionary Effort Investment under Cross Risk Aversion," Journal of Systems Science and Information, De Gruyter, vol. 7(4), pages 344-358, August.
    19. Christian Gollier & James Hammitt & Nicolas Treich, 2013. "Risk and choice: A research saga," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 129-145, October.
    20. Donatella Baiardi & Marco Magnani & Mario Menegatti, 2014. "Precautionary saving under many risks," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 211-228, November.

    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:mateco:v:97:y:2021:i:c:s0304406821000999. 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/jmateco .

    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.