Paying to Improve Your Chances: Gambling or Insurance?

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Risk and Uncertainty
Year: 1991
Volume: 4
Issue: 4
Pages: 329-38

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Will a more risk-averse individual spend more or less to improve probabilities, say on marketing efforts that enhance the chance of a sale? For any two payoffs and starting probabilities, the answer is unfortunately indeterminate. However, interpreting gambling as increasing small chances of good outcomes and insurance as reducing small chances of bad outcomes, the more risk-averse individual will pay less (more) to gamble (insure). The authors find a critical "switching probability that depends on the individuals and outcomes involved. If the good outcome is less (more) likely than this critical value, the expenditures represent gambling (insurance). Copyright 1991 by Kluwer Academic Publishers

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:kap:jrisku:v:4:y:1991:i:4:p:329-38
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-26