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Parenthood and Risk Preferences

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  • Görlitz, Katja
  • Tamm, Marcus

Abstract

This study analyzes how risk attitudes change when individuals become parents using longitudinal data for a large and representative sample of individuals. The results show that men and women experience a considerable increase in risk aversion which already starts as early as two years before becoming a parent, is largest shortly after giving birth and disappears when the child becomes older. These findings show that parenthood leads to considerable changes in individual risk attitudes over time. Thus, analyses using risk preferences as the explanatory variable for economic outcomes should be careful in interpreting the findings as causal effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Görlitz, Katja & Tamm, Marcus, 2015. "Parenthood and Risk Preferences," Ruhr Economic Papers 552, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:552
    DOI: 10.4419/86788630
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Are parents more risk-averse?
      by noname in ZeeConomics on 2015-05-31 16:34:56

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    Cited by:

    1. Insoo Cho & Peter F. Orazem, 2021. "How endogenous risk preferences and sample selection affect analysis of firm survival," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1309-1332, April.
    2. Hetschko, Clemens & Preuss, Malte, 2020. "Income in jeopardy: How losing employment affects the willingness to take risks," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. Mark J. Browne & Verena Jäger & Andreas Richter & Petra Steinorth, 2022. "Family changes and the willingness to take risks," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 89(1), pages 187-209, March.
    4. Decker, Simon & Schmitz, Hendrik, 2016. "Health shocks and risk aversion," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 156-170.
    5. Stefani Milovanska-Farrington & Stephen Farrington, 2021. "Discipline, risk, and the endogeneity between financial decisionmaking and health," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 45(4), pages 596-636, October.
    6. Yong He, 2023. "State intervention in land pricing and endogenous risk aversion," Journal of Economic Analysis, Anser Press, vol. 2(4), pages 63-81, June.
    7. Kettlewell, Nathan, 2019. "Risk preference dynamics around life events," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 66-84.
    8. Derek T. Tharp & Elizabeth J. Parks-Stamm & Meghaan Lurtz & Michael Kitces, 2022. "Exploring Gender Differences in Marital and Parental Income Premiums Among Financial Advisors," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 15-35, March.
    9. Matthias Brachert & Walter Hyll & Abdolkarim Sadrieh, 2020. "Entry into self-employment and individuals’ risk-taking propensities," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 55(4), pages 1057-1074, December.
    10. Kokot, Johanna, 2017. "Does a spouse's health shock influence the partner's risk attitudes?," Ruhr Economic Papers 707, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    risk aversion; risk preferences; preference stability; parenthood; children; gender differences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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