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Eliciting Discount Functions when Baseline Consumption changes over Time

Author

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  • Anke Gerber

    (Hamburg University, Germany)

  • Kirsten I.M. Rohde

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands)

Abstract

Many empirical studies on intertemporal choice report preference reversals in the sense that a preference between a small reward to be received soon and a larger reward to be received later reverses as both rewards are equally delayed. Such preference reversals are commonly interpreted as contradicting constant discounting. This interpretation is correct only if baseline consumption to which the outcomes are added, remains constant over time. The difficulty with measuring discounting when baseline consumption changes over time, is that delaying an outcome has two effects: (1) due to the change in baseline consumption, it changes the extra utility from receiving the outcome, and (2) it changes the factor by which this extra utility is discounted. In this paper we propose a way to disentangle the two effects, which allows us to draw conclusions about discounting even when baseline con-sumption changes over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Anke Gerber & Kirsten I.M. Rohde, 2009. "Eliciting Discount Functions when Baseline Consumption changes over Time," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 09-103/1, Tinbergen Institute, revised 20 Nov 2014.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20090103
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anke Gerber & Kirsten I.M. Rohde, 2013. "Weighted Temporal Utility," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 13-167/1, Tinbergen Institute, revised 20 Nov 2014.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hyperbolic discounting; Constant discounting; Preference reversals; Decreasing impatience;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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