Impatience and Uncertainty: Experimental Decisions Predict Adolescents' Field Behavior

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2013
Volume: 103
Issue: 1
Pages: 510-31

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

We study risk attitudes, ambiguity attitudes, and time preferences of 661 children and adolescents, aged ten to eighteen years, in an incentivized experiment and relate experimental choices to field behavior. Experimental measures of impatience are found to be significant predictors of health-related field behavior, saving decisions, and conduct at school. In particular, more impatient children and adolescents are more likely to spend money on alcohol and cigarettes, have a higher body mass index, are less likely to save money, and show worse conduct at school. Experimental measures for risk and ambiguity attitudes are only weak predictors of field behavior.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:103:y:2013:i:1:p:510-31
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25