Do Risk Preferences Change? Evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Year: 2018
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Pages: 298-330

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

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

Abstract

We investigate whether individuals' risk preferences change after experiencing a natural disaster, specifically, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Exploiting the panels of nationally representative surveys on risk preferences, we find that men who experienced greater intensity of the earthquake became more risk tolerant a year after the Earthquake. Interestingly, the effects on men's risk preferences are persistent even five years after the Earthquake at almost the same magnitude as those shortly after the Earthquake. Furthermore, these men gamble more, which is consistent with the direction of changes in risk preferences. We find no such pattern for women.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejapp:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:298-330
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25