We establish when the two problems of minimizing a function of lifetime minimum wealth and of maximizing utility of lifetime consumption result in the same optimal investment strategy on a given open interval O in wealth space. To answer this question, we equate the two investment strategies and show that if the individual consumes at the same rate in both problems – the consumption rate is a c...

This paper is the first to apply prospect theory to societal health-related decision making. In particular, we allow for utility curvature, equity weighting, sign-dependence, and loss aversion in choices concerning quality of life of other people. We find substantial inequity aversion, both for gains and losses, which can be attributed to both diminishing marginal utility and differential weigh...

We introduce a class of utility-based market makers that always accept orders at their risk-neutral prices. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for such market makers to have bounded loss. We prove that hyperbolic absolute risk aversion utility market makers are equivalent to weighted pseudospherical scoring rule market makers. In particular, Hanson’s logarithmic scoring rule market m...

the main logic behind the demand for life insurance is to hedge against the labor income uncertainty due to premature death of a wage earner. in other words, life insurance is the device by which this labor income uncertainty is handled. for insurers, the uncertainty arises from the lack of knowledge about the age of death of the wage earner. this paper attempts to derive life insurance demand ...

The price-setting newsvendor problem, which models the economic trade-offs associated with uncertain demand of a perishable product, is fundamental to supply chain analysis. However, in settings such as agriculture, there is significant economic risk associated with supply uncertainty. We analyze how risk aversion and the source of uncertainty—demand and/or supply—affect tractability and optima...

The tri-reference point (TRP) theory takes into account minimum requirements (MR), the status quo (SQ), and goals (G) in decision making under risk. The 3 reference points demarcate risky outcomes and risk perception into 4 functional regions: success (expected value of x ≥ G), gain (SQ < × < G), loss (MR ≤ x < SQ), and failure (x < MR). The psychological impact of achieving or failing to achie...

This paper analyzes, for S-shaped value functions, the relations between loss aversion and perceptionally risk aversion (i.e. computed with the perceived probability weights) in Cumulative Prospect Theory . We show that perceptionally risk aversion for mixed sign lotteries is equivalent to weak (or strong) loss aversion, so this is the right assumption to get a sensible behavior towards risk. T...

Decision making with adaptive utility provides a generalisation to classical Bayesian decision theory, allowing the creation of a normative theory for decision selection when preferences are initially uncertain. In this paper we address some of the foundational issues of adaptive utility as seen from the perspective of a Bayesian statistician. The implications that such a generalisation has upo...

Many mathematical forms of utility functions have been considered in the economics and finance literature, although, as Xie (2000) has said, by far the most widely employed are those displaying constant relative risk aversion (CRRA). Xie pointed out the dangers implicit in an inappropriate assumption of CRRA and the desirability of more flexible utility functions permitting a greater range of r...

Traditionally, risk aversion (both absolute and relative) has been expressed as a function of wealth alone. The characteristics of risk aversion as wealth changes have been extensively studied. However, prices, as well as wealth, enter the indirect utility function, from which the typical risk aversion measures are calculated. Given that, changes in prices will affect risk aversion, although ex...