IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/96756.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Correlation between Time Preference and Incomes Is Spurious: They Are Bridged by Fluid Intelligence

Author

Listed:
  • Harashima, Taiji

Abstract

The rate of time preference (RTP) has been observed to be negatively correlated with incomes, but the mechanism behind this correlation is not yet sufficiently understood. Here, I examine it on the basis of fluid intelligence in an economy in which households behave according to the maximum degree of comfortability. I show that heterogeneity in fluid intelligences among households causes heterogeneous RTPs and incomes at the same time. This means that the negative correlation between RTP and incomes is spurious, and there is no direct causality between them. They only appear to be correlated because they are bridged by fluid intelligences.

Suggested Citation

  • Harashima, Taiji, 2019. "The Correlation between Time Preference and Incomes Is Spurious: They Are Bridged by Fluid Intelligence," MPRA Paper 96756, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:96756
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/96756/1/MPRA_paper_96756.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gary S. Becker & Casey B. Mulligan, 1997. "The Endogenous Determination of Time Preference," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(3), pages 729-758.
    2. Samwick, Andrew A., 1998. "Discount rate heterogeneity and social security reform," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 117-146, October.
    3. Taiji Harashima, 2004. "A More Realistic Endogenous Time Preference Model and the Slump in Japan," Macroeconomics 0402015, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 09 Feb 2004.
    4. Robert A. Becker, 1980. "On the Long-Run Steady State in a Simple Dynamic Model of Equilibrium with Heterogeneous Households," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 95(2), pages 375-382.
    5. Harashima, Taiji, 2010. "Sustainable Heterogeneity: Inequality, Growth, and Social Welfare in a Heterogeneous Population," MPRA Paper 22521, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Obstfeld, Maurice, 1990. "Intertemporal dependence, impatience, and dynamics," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 45-75, August.
    7. Epstein, Larry G., 1987. "A simple dynamic general equilibrium model," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 68-95, February.
    8. Harashima, Taiji, 2018. "Do Households Actually Generate Rational Expectations? “Invisible Hand” for Steady State," MPRA Paper 88822, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Harashima, Taiji, 2014. "Time Preference Shocks," MPRA Paper 60205, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Shane Frederick & George Loewenstein & Ted O'Donoghue, 2002. "Time Discounting and Time Preference: A Critical Review," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(2), pages 351-401, June.
    11. Epstein, Larry G & Hynes, J Allan, 1983. "The Rate of Time Preference and Dynamic Economic Analysis," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 91(4), pages 611-635, August.
    12. Lawrance, Emily C, 1991. "Poverty and the Rate of Time Preference: Evidence from Panel Data," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(1), pages 54-77, February.
    13. Harashima, Taiji, 2009. "A Theory of Total Factor Productivity and the Convergence Hypothesis: Workers’ Innovations as an Essential Element," MPRA Paper 15508, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Harashima, Taiji, 2012. "A Theory of Intelligence and Total Factor Productivity: Value Added Reflects the Fruits of Fluid Intelligence," MPRA Paper 43151, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    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. Harashima, Taiji, 2016. "The Cause of the Great Recession: What Caused the Downward Shift of the GDP Trend in the United States?," MPRA Paper 69215, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Taiji HARASHIMA, 2016. "A Theory Of Deflation: Can Expectations Be Influenced By A Central Bank?," Theoretical and Practical Research in the Economic Fields, ASERS Publishing, vol. 7(2), pages 98-145.
    3. Harashima, Taiji, 2015. "Bubbles, Bluffs, and Greed," MPRA Paper 64361, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Harashima, Taiji, 2014. "Time Preference Shocks," MPRA Paper 60205, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Ingmar, SCHUMACHER, 2006. "On optimality, endogeneous discounting and wealth accumulation," Discussion Papers (ECON - Département des Sciences Economiques) 2006058, Université catholique de Louvain, Département des Sciences Economiques.
    6. Harashima, Taiji, 2017. "Should a Government Fiscally Intervene in a Recession and, If So, How?," MPRA Paper 78053, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Ken-Ichi Hirose & Shinsuke Ikeda, 2015. "Decreasing Marginal Impatience and Capital Accumulation in a Two-Country World Economy," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(3), pages 474-507, July.
    8. Das, Mausumi, 2003. "Optimal growth with decreasing marginal impatience," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 27(10), pages 1881-1898, August.
    9. Taiji Harashima, 2004. "A More Realistic Endogenous Time Preference Model and the Slump in Japan," Macroeconomics 0402015, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 09 Feb 2004.
    10. Erol, Selman & Le Van, Cuong & Saglam, Cagri, 2011. "Existence, optimality and dynamics of equilibria with endogenous time preference," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 170-179, March.
    11. Strulik, Holger, 2012. "Patience and prosperity," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(1), pages 336-352.
    12. Ken‐Ichi Hirose & Shinsuke Ikeda, 2008. "On Decreasing Marginal Impatience," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 59(3), pages 259-274, September.
    13. Ken-ichi Hirose & Shinsuke Ikeda, 2012. "Decreasing marginal impatience in a two-country world economy," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 105(3), pages 247-262, April.
    14. Takashi Hayashi, 2020. "Investment in time preference and long-run distribution," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 171-190, April.
    15. Schumacher, Ingmar, 2011. "Endogenous discounting and the domain of the felicity function," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(1-2), pages 574-581, January.
    16. Ken-ichi Hirose & Shinsuke Ikeda, 2001. "On Decreasing Impatience," ISER Discussion Paper 0536, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    17. Ken-Ichi Hirose & Shinsuke Ikeda, 2013. "Time Preference and Dynamic Stability in an N-Country World Economy," ISER Discussion Paper 0887, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    18. Harashima, Taiji, 2011. "A Mechanism of Cyclical Volatility in the Vacancy-Unemployment Ratio: What Is the Source of Rigidity?," MPRA Paper 32476, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Harashima, Taiji, 2015. "The Rate of Time Preference of Government," MPRA Paper 65387, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Iwasa, Kazumichi & Zhao, Laixun, 2020. "Inequality and catching-up under decreasing marginal impatience," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 99-110.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    The rate of time preference; Maximum degree of comfortability; Fluid intelligence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:pra:mprapa:96756. 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: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    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.