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Prudence and prevention: an economic laboratory experiment

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  • Miriam Krieger
  • Thomas Mayrhofer

Abstract

In an economic laboratory experiment, we study the relationship between prudence and prevention in general decision situations. Previous theoretical research on this relationship posits a negative impact of prudence on the optimal level of prevention. Overall, we find both risk-averse and prudent behaviour among our subjects. Moreover, prudent subjects chose significantly less prevention than nonprudent subjects, confirming the theoretical results of one-period models in the literature. Our findings might have implications for health policy if prudence – rather than irrational decision behaviour, as previously assumed – is responsible for low levels of preventive effort.

Suggested Citation

  • Miriam Krieger & Thomas Mayrhofer, 2017. "Prudence and prevention: an economic laboratory experiment," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 19-24, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:apeclt:v:24:y:2017:i:1:p:19-24
    DOI: 10.1080/13504851.2016.1158909
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Timo Heinrich & Thomas Mayrhofer, 2018. "Higher-order risk preferences in social settings," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 21(2), pages 434-456, June.
    2. Takehito Masuda & Eungik Lee, 2019. "Higher order risk attitudes and prevention under different timings of loss," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 22(1), pages 197-215, March.
    3. repec:cup:judgdm:v:17:y:2022:i:4:p:745-767 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Richard Peter, 2021. "Who should exert more effort? Risk aversion, downside risk aversion and optimal prevention," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 71(4), pages 1259-1281, June.
    5. Thomas Mayrhofer & Hendrik Schmitz, 2020. "Prudence and prevention - Empirical evidence," Working Papers CIE 134, Paderborn University, CIE Center for International Economics.
    6. Timo Heinrich & Jason Shachat, 2020. "The development of risk aversion and prudence in Chinese children and adolescents," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 263-287, December.
    7. Richard Peter, 2024. "The economics of self-protection," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 49(1), pages 6-35, March.
    8. Stefan Felder & Thomas Mayrhofer, 2018. "Threshold analysis in the presence of both the diagnostic and the therapeutic risk," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(7), pages 1019-1026, September.
    9. Colasante, Annarita & Riccetti, Luca, 2020. "Risk aversion, prudence and temperance: It is a matter of gap between moments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    10. Irene Mussio & Angela C.M. de Oliveira, 2022. "The effect of additional background risk on mixed risk behavior," Journal of Behavioral Economics for Policy, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE), vol. 6(S1), pages 85-92, July.
    11. repec:jdm:journl:v:17:y:2022:i:4:p:745-767 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Brunette, Marielle & Jacob, Julien, 2019. "Risk aversion, prudence and temperance: An experiment in gain and loss," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 174-189.
    13. Claudio A. Bonilla & Marcos Vergara, 2021. "Risk aversion, downside risk aversion, and the transition to entrepreneurship," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 91(1), pages 123-133, July.
    14. Han Bleichrodt, 2022. "The prevention puzzle," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 47(2), pages 277-297, September.
    15. Timo R. Lambregts & Paul Bruggen & Han Bleichrodt, 2021. "Insurance decisions under nonperformance risk and ambiguity," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 229-253, December.
    16. Colasante, Annarita & Riccetti, Luca, 2021. "Financial and non-financial risk attitudes: What does it matter?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(C).

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