Arbeitspapier

Variation in risk seeking behavior in a natural experiment on large losses induced by a natural disaster

This study explores people's risk attitudes after having suffered large real-world losses following a natural disaster. Using the margins of the 2011 Australian floods (Brisbane) as a natural experimental setting, we find that homeowners who were victims of the floods and face large losses in property values are 50% more likely to opt for a risky gamble {a scratch card giving a small chance of a large gain ($500,000) {than for a sure amount of comparable value ($10). This finding is consistent with prospect theory predictions of the adoption of a risk-seeking attitude after a loss.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: Nota di Lavoro ; No. 54.2012

Classification
Wirtschaft
Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
Field Experiments
Subject
Decision under Risk
Large Losses
Natural Experiment

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Page, Lionel
Savage, David
Torgler, Benno
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)
(where)
Milano
(when)
2012

Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET

Data provider

This object is provided by:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.

Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Page, Lionel
  • Savage, David
  • Torgler, Benno
  • Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)

Time of origin

  • 2012

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