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Ambiguity models and the Machina paradoxes

Author

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  • Laetitia Placido

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Aurélien Baillon

    (GRID - Groupe de Recherche sur le risque, l'Information et la Décision - ENS Cachan - École normale supérieure - Cachan - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Olivier L'Haridon

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UP4 - Université Paris-Sorbonne)

Abstract

Machina (2009) introduced two examples that falsify Choquet expected utility, presently one of the most popular models of ambiguity. This article shows that Machina's examples falsify not only the model mentioned, but also four other popular models for ambiguity of the literature, namely maxmin expected utility, variational preferences, α-maxmin, and the smooth model of ambiguity aversion. Thus, Machina's examples pose a challenge to most of the present field of ambiguity. Finally, the paper discusses how an alternative representation of ambiguity-averse preferences works to accommodate the Machina paradoxes and what drives the results. (JEL D81)
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Suggested Citation

  • Laetitia Placido & Aurélien Baillon & Olivier L'Haridon, 2011. "Ambiguity models and the Machina paradoxes," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-00645899, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-00645899
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.101.4.1547
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Machina paradox; Choquet expected utility; Maxmin expected utility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

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

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