Preference Reversals and the Analysis of Income Distributions

It is known from the literature on uncertainty that in cases where individuals express a preference for a high win-probability bet over a bet with high winnings they nevertheless will bid more to obtain the bet with high winnings. We investigate whether a similar phenomenon applies in the parallel social-choice situation. Here decisions are to be made between a distribution with a small group of very high-income people. Results from a number of experimental designs are analysed.Preference reversals, social welfare, inequality, risk and experiments.

Choices in egalitarian distribution: inequality aversion versus risk aversion

Inequality aversion and risk aversion are widely assumed features of economic models. But a review of the literature revealed that inequlity aversion and risk aversion are treated as separate variables. This paper presents exploratory research designed to separate inequality aversion from risk aversion. In a set of laboratory experiments, subjects chose between two alternatives with the same individuals risk, but different levels of egalitarianism. Thus, the choice of the more egalitarian alternative with constant risk level implies a higher level of inequality aversion. The experiment was conducted among 211 eight-year-old children, 107 of whom live on Kibbutz and 104 in the city. We found not significant difference between Kibbutz children and city children in inequality aversion

Preference reversals and the analysis of income distributions

It is known from the literature on uncertainty that in cases where individuals express a preference for a high win-probability bet over a bet with high winnings they nevertheless will bid more to obtain the bet with high winnings. We investigate whether a similar phenomenon applies in the parallel social-choice situation. Here decisions are to be made between a distribution with a small group of very highincome people. Results from a number of experimental designs are analysed