On the Linkage between Financial Risk Tolerance and Risk Aversion: Evidence from a Psychometrically-Validated Survey Versus an Online Lottery Choice Experiment

Abstract

There are two related literatures on financial risk tolerance (FRT) (based on psychometrically-validated surveys) and risk aversion (based on lottery experiments) that hitherto have not been intersected. Exploring their integration is the primary goal of this paper. Specifically, we follow a two stage process: (1) we obtain FRT scores from a psychometrically-validated survey on a sample of 162 people; and (2) we conduct a battery of lottery choice experiments on the same people. The second stage is primarily distinguished from earlier lottery choice experiments by being online and involving non-student subjects. Moreover, we contrast: real and hypothetical payoffs; low and high stake payoffs; decisions involving gains and losses; and order effects. Our key finding is that the two approaches to analysing decision-making under uncertainty are strongly aligned. We present evidence that this is particularly the case for the female participants in our sample. There is also some evidence that the alignment is strengthened when high stake gambles are employed.

Keywords: Financial Risk Tolerance, Risk Aversion, Psychometric Survey, Online Lottery Choice Experiment

JEL Classification: D81, G19