Risk aversion estimates for GRACE

Generalized risk-adjusted cost effectiveness (GRACE) aims to incorporate risk preferences into standard cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) methods. While traditional CEA assumes individuals are risk neutral, GRACE allows for risk preferences to influence value. Namely, that health gains in more severely ill health states are valued more than equivalent health gains in better health states. But…

Were risk averse individuals more or less likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine?

More likely according to: Lepinteur et al. (2023): The theoretical effect [of risk aversion on COVID-19 vaccination] is ambiguous, as both COVID-19 infection and vaccination side-effects involve probabilistic elements. In large-scale data covering five European countries, we find that vaccine hesitancy falls with risk aversion, so that COVID-19 infection is perceived as involving greater risk…

Risk aversion and health behaviors

Are risk averse individuals less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors?  According to Anderson and Mellor (JHE 2008), the answer is yes.  Using a Holt and Laury (AER 2002) methodology to measure risk aversion, the authors find that individuals who are risk averse are less likely to smoke, drink, be overweight or drive over the…

Risk Aversion in the Laboratory

Many experimental economists have been interested in measuring the level of risk aversion as well as the determinants of risk aversion. These studies often take place in a controlled, laboratory setting and designing an experiment which will elicit responses which are true to life is essential. In “Risk Aversion in the Laboratory,” Harrison and Rutström…

Risk Aversion, Impatience and Cognitive Ability

Are smart people risk averse? Are dumb people impatient? This is what Thomas Dohmen, Armin Falk, David Huffman, Uwe Sunde explore in their 2007 Discussion paper. Using data from a choice experiment of 1000 German adults, the authors tested for risk aversion using a Holt & Laury framework, and for impatience by varying the annual…