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Challenges in Research on Preferences and Personality Traits: Measurement, Stability, and Inference

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  • Golsteyn, Bart H.H.

    (Maastricht University)

  • Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah

    (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods)

Abstract

This paper reviews several traditions in economic research on preferences as well as research on personality traits in personality psychology and lists challenges in both fields. We discuss challenges regarding the measurement of preferences and personality traits, challenges regarding the stability of preferences and traits, and challenges when inferring causality. Additionally, we highlight areas in which we see potential benefits from taking into account methodological approaches or insights from the respective other discipline.

Suggested Citation

  • Golsteyn, Bart H.H. & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2017. "Challenges in Research on Preferences and Personality Traits: Measurement, Stability, and Inference," IZA Discussion Papers 10562, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10562
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    Cited by:

    1. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Kong, Nancy & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2023. "The stability of self-control in a population-representative study," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. James J. Heckman & Tomáš Jagelka & Timothy D. Kautz, 2019. "Some Contributions of Economics to the Study of Personality," NBER Working Papers 26459, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Bhargava, Palaash & Chen, Daniel L. & Sutter, Matthias & Terrier, Camille, 2022. "Homophily and Transmission of Behavioral Traits in Social Networks," IZA Discussion Papers 15840, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Nicolás Salamanca & Buly A. Cardak & Edwin Ip & Joe Vecci, 2023. "Time-stability of risk preferences: A new approach with evidence from developed and developing countries," Discussion Papers 2305, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    5. Pannenberg, Markus & Friehe, Tim, 2019. "Does it really get better with age? Life-cycle patterns of confidence in Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203497, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Armando N. Meier, 2021. "Emotions and Risk Attitudes," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1118, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    7. Armando N. Meier, 2019. "Emotions, Risk Attitudes, and Patience," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1041, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    8. Alderotti, Giammarco & Rapallini, Chiara & Traverso, Silvio, 2023. "The Big Five personality traits and earnings: A meta-analysis," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    9. Friehe, Tim & Pannenberg, Markus, 2019. "Overconfidence over the lifespan: Evidence from Germany," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    10. Hamza Umer, 2024. "Gender differences in temporal stability and decay in stability of trust," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 96(3), pages 369-395, May.
    11. Malte Preuss & Juliane Hennecke, 2017. "Biased by Success and Failure: How Unemployment Shapes Stated Locus of Control," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 943, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    12. Preuss, Malte, 2021. "Intra-individual stability of two survey measures on forward-looking attitude," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 201-227.
    13. Anna Goeddeke & Justus Haucap & Annika Herr & Christian Wey, 2018. "Flexibility in Wage Setting Under the Threat of Relocation," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 32(1), pages 1-22, March.
    14. Adamecz-Völgyi, Anna & Shure, Nikki, 2022. "The gender gap in top jobs – The role of overconfidence," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    15. Mikko Vaaramo & Leena Ala-Mursula & Jouko Miettunen & Marko Korhonen, 2023. "Economic preferences and temperament traits among business leaders and paid employees," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 1197-1217, March.
    16. Susanne M. Syrén & Katja Kokko & Lea Pulkkinen & Jaakko Pehkonen, 2020. "Income and Mental Well-Being: Personality Traits as Moderators," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 547-571, February.
    17. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Dahmann, Sarah C. & Kamhöfer, Daniel A. & Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah, 2023. "Self-control and unhealthy body weight: The role of impulsivity and restraint," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    18. Qian, Chen & Antonides, Gerrit & Heerink, Nico & Zhu, Xueqin & Ma, Xianlei, 2022. "An economic-psychological perspective on perceived land tenure security: Evidence from rural eastern China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    19. Bernd Fitzenberger & Gary Mena & Jan Nimczik & Uwe Sunde, 2022. "Personality Traits Across the Life Cycle: Disentangling Age, Period and Cohort Effects," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(646), pages 2141-2172.
    20. Yannick V. Markhof, 2020. "Divide to Conquer? Latent Preference Types and Country-level Heterogeneity," CSAE Working Paper Series 2020-05, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    21. Harry Pickard & Thomas Dohmen & Bert Landeghem, 2024. "Inequality and risk preference," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 191-217, October.
    22. Tim Friehe & Markus Pannenberg, 2020. "Time preferences and political regimes: evidence from reunified Germany," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(1), pages 349-387, January.
    23. Non, Arjan, 2018. "Training participation and the role of reciprocal attitudes," ROA Research Memorandum 005, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    preferences; personality traits; measurement; stability; causality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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