'Stochastically more risk averse:' A contextual theory of stochastic discrete choice under risk

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Econometrics
Year: 2011
Volume: 162
Issue: 1
Pages: 89-104

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

Microeconometric treatments of discrete choice under risk are typically homoscedastic latent variable models. Specifically, choice probabilities are given by preference functional differences (given by expected utility, rank-dependent utility, etc.) embedded in cumulative distribution functions. This approach has a problem: Estimated utility function parameters meant to represent agents' degree of risk aversion in the sense of Pratt (1964) do not imply a suggested "stochastically more risk averse" relation within such models. A new heteroscedastic model called "contextual utility" remedies this, and estimates in one data set suggest it explains (and especially predicts) as well as or better than other stochastic models.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:econom:v:162:y:2011:i:1:p:89-104
Journal Field
Econometrics
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-29