• Media type: Report; E-Book
  • Title: Insurance demand and prospect theory
  • Contributor: Schmidt, Ulrich [Author]
  • Published: Kiel: Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), 2012
  • Language: English
  • Keywords: prospect theory ; diminishing sensitivity ; Elementarschadenversicherung ; Konsumentenverhalten ; G21 ; D14 ; flood insurance ; loss aversion ; Theorie ; D81 ; insurance demand
  • Origination:
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  • Description: Empirical evidence has shown that people are unwilling to insure rare losses at subsidized premiums and at the same time take-up insurance for moderate risks at highly loaded premiums. This paper explores whether prospect theory, in particular diminishing sensitivity and loss aversion, can accommodate this evidence. A crucial factor for applying prospect theory to insurance problems is the choice of the reference point. We motivate and explore two possible reference points, state-dependent initial wealth and final wealth after buying full insurance. It turns out that particularly the latter reference point seems to provide a realistic explanation of the empirical evidence.
  • Access State: Open Access