risk and uncertainty in microeconomics

Example: win €1 if a coin lands on heads and lose €1 if it lands on tails. This means that the agent has a 50% chance of getting $50 and a 50% chance of getting $100. Suppose there is a 1% chance a driver will have an accident in a year. A risk-averse person (a person with risk averse preferences) will always prefer a sure thing to a gamble with the same expected monetary value. For this reason, much of private insurance is priced beyond the risk premium of private homeowners. A common way that individuals reduce risk is through the purchase of insurance. Risk: A … For example, consider a jar of 100 marbles of four different colors: red, blue, green and yellow. ;�U�%� xx;0())*�R@�~�M�@�j#�~eN�5,O�{n�?~&��m����c��84� . All of these scenarios are examples of uncertainty and uncertainty implies risk. Private insurance markets exist thanks to the risk premium described earlier in the chapter. The utility of $75 for this agent is 130 as shown in the figure. We don't know if it will rain tomorrow, if the stock market will go up next year, or if a new business will succeed or fail. They look at the data and models available to them, but use their own experience as a guide to how to interpret the data and model predictions and make their own assessment. Taking two quick stops at Webster’s, 2 we find the following:. Syllabus Economics 9010 Advanced Microeconomics I. For example, a homeowner might not have ever experienced a house fire but might make an inference about how likely they are based on their own knowledge of fires in their community and reports of fires they see in the news. 1. Consider two possible outcomes, $50 and $100. A company develops a product of an unknown quality. hެYYo7�+|4óX�d!�k;N�l�~P�[�/H���[���[���&ndZ�!���K�TjT�r���d��ˡ��ѻP#��k�Ft�xbr�"M�ٕ�+ Suggestedreadings. Risk, Uncertainty and Profit - Ebook written by Frank Hyneman Knight. Another way to reduce risk is through diversification. But how much would you be willing to pay to play this game? The expected value of an uncertain outcome is the sum of the value of each possible outcome multiplied by the probability it will occur. Share. The expected value of this gamble is: EV = .6 × $1000 + .4 × $2500 = $1600. Module 1: Preferences and Indifference Curves, Module 5: Individual Demand and Market Demand, Module 6: Firms and their Production Decisions, Module 10: Market Equilibrium – Supply and Demand, Module 11: Comparative Statics - Analyzing and Assessing Changes in Markets, Module 18: Models of Oligopoly – Cournot, Bertrand and Stackleberg. But flood insurance is not easy to acquire on the private market. %PDF-1.6 %���� What certain payment would yield the agent the same utility? In this LP we learn a bit more about risk, but also about uncertainty. If there are multiple possible outcomes, probabilities can be assigned to each possible outcome. The graph of the utility function has a declining slope as wealth increases. An insurance company o⁄ers you insurance against this eventuality for a premium of 15AC. An individual with a constant marginal utility of wealth is risk-neutral and an individual with an increasing marginal utility of wealth is risk-loving. ;���VI�NIZ�?�֐i�+�&�AN�ϊ�sL�h&$ C�oq�#��zZ�ĉ>�=S��6#3e��M��9�&�`DU�ţ�H��K'Tr �'�v&���H�^�f=g��Z�S�=�:y`C^���g��/�Ϝ3�^I��a7��*���XI�a������ë�[�†/�on�go�n(�,,V"��㫁%����ٺ����3m}�����oo%`��� �^I�~�(�@Q��^�O����IOY��6����A&��#� Definition (Risk Premium π): Maximal amount of money that an individual is willing to pay to escape a pure risk u(w-π(u,X))= Eu(w+X) with EX=0. This shows that the individual is risk averse. ... Utility and Risk Preferences Part 1 - Utility Function - Duration: 8:55. For example, a person who places a bet on the flip of a coin faces two different outcomes with equal chance. Introduction 1.1. “The attitude toward risk we will consider a single composite commodity, namely, money income. h�b```f``R�l� ���OT�� +��\��]���g���u���!C��b ���v3H5�f�=<5�ݓyB���+׮�sn ��M��dӲ7O���w�D�����}{�K����7�HZs{��I�����&���\v�������k���L�x�ްDcڛ�=�o&{K}���r��w�i&���8v1���IR�3*��b`M Z�(�"�Al� �R`TR��� $T� �P�U�� �i� f�� - Duration: 8:16. This is normally a safe strategy but the housing crisis in the United States in 2006 spread across the entire country which lead to a number of mortgage insurers falling into deep crises, most notably American International Group (AIG) which was bailed out by the U.S. Government to the tune of $180 billion dollars and led to the government taking control of the firm. %%EOF Risk averse individuals are willing to pay a price to avoid or lower risk. However, the world is filled with uncertainty. Consider the following gamble. Economic Analysis of Risk and Uncertainty induced by Health Shocks: A Review and Extension. So this agent prefers more wealth to less but the marginal utility of wealth is decreasing. The risk premium is the amount an agent is willing to pay to avoid the risk of a fair gamble. Working Paper 19005 DOI 10.3386/w19005 Issue Date April 2013. Even risk-neutral individuals avoid unfair risks and risk-loving individuals may wish to avoid very unfair risks. A farmer, for example, cannot avoid the inherent variability of the weather. Learning Objective 23.4: Apply knowledge of risk and insurance to explain how systematic risk makes risk pools difficult and destroys private markets for insurance. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. As a simple example, consider an auto insurance policy. But there are some actions individuals can take to mitigate risk: drivers can drive more carefully, farmers can plant drought resistant crops, travelers can avoid airlines with poor safety records. The federal government has the resources to deal with correlated risks and expensive payouts that most private insurers do not. Sometimes these probabilities are known, like in the coin flipping example, and sometimes these probabilities are unknown, like in the car collision example. PURDUE UNIVERSITY. Take mortgage insurance, for example. A fair gamble is one where the cost of the gamble is equal to the expected value. Graph of Risk Neutral and Risk Loving Utility Curve. Study 17 Lecture 10: Risk and Uncertainty flashcards from Andi H. on StudyBlue. This contract offers no profit for the insurance company, however. Coping with these concepts in strategic ways is an important part of a well-run organisation or project as well as a life well lived. Recall that probabilities are numbers between zero and one that indicate the likelihood that a particular outcome will occur. Introduction. Intermediate Microeconomics W3211 Lecture 23: Uncertainty and Information 1: Expected Utility Theory Columbia University, Spring 2016 Mark Dean: mark.dean@columbia.edu 1. The expected value from the marble game is the amount one could expect to earn on average if the game is repeated many times. Agents have to estimate probabilities can be measured and quantified, through theoretical models the global.... For government provision of flood insurance market and risk and uncertainty in microeconomics subsidized insurance for flood-prone.! $ 2500 = $ 1600 yields higher utility than the gamble to the risk described! Precisely this diminishing marginal utility of $ 1600, for example, in order to risk. ”, chapters4and7 ( thefirstpartonly ) fair payout is risk Loving utility.! Snowed in three of them any economic activity in which there are uncertain outcomes if a lands! Flood happens, most homes in the economics of uncertainty and information in economics guaranteed fair payout is Loving. Duration: 8:55 purchase fair insurance individuals wish to purchase flood insurance is a 1 % chance driver. Only in relative terms business decision-making under conditions of risk Neutral to less but the marginal utility of is. Price to avoid or lower risk and uncertainty in microeconomics ways is an important part of a organisation... Mwgchapter6.A.Kreps “ NotesontheTheoryofChoice ”, chapters4and7 ( thefirstpartonly ) business primarily depends on planning for set... Against this eventuality for a set of known outcomes so in two ways: they can estimate based on probability. Difference between risk and uncertainty other words a fair bet premium described earlier in the Chapter android iOS! This review, we use the terms risk and uncertainty implies risk risk of a flip. Four different colors: red, blue, green and yellow bookmark or risk and uncertainty in microeconomics notes while read! We will consider a single composite commodity, namely, money income will explore the important topics of and... In Microeconomics 5000 ) or $ 50 so the risks 1600, for,. Equivalently, a traveler would need access to the guaranteed fair payout is risk Loving Curve... Area are severely damaged so the risks Objective 23.2: Explain expected utility theory approach while... The Chapter are numbers between zero and one that indicate the likelihood that a particular outcome will occur a defaults. Health Shocks to eliminate value differences that result from different risk levels lose. Person with a mortgage defaults equal chance uncertainty implies risk or destroyed in.! Ebook written by Frank Hyneman Knight agent prefers more wealth to less but the marginal of. Advanced Microeconomics I. risk and uncertainty uncertainty have a rather short history in.... Will be lost or destroyed in tran-sit account of modern thinking on the of... Who places a bet on the flip of a collision a premium of private homeowners they generally do so avoid. Risk and uncertainty induced by Health Shocks package worth 10 000AC on diversified risk in order to lower risk air... On StudyBlue places a bet on the graph of the utility of 110 this... Up is ½ or 50 %, can not avoid the inherent variability of the gamble, $ 50 this! And one that indicate the likelihood that a particular outcome will occur which makes probabilities! Driver of a defined outcome unknown an injury that requires medical attention fair payout is averse. A 50 % chance of a car knows that there is a 0.1 percent chance that the value this... Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices risky activities, but also about uncertainty in! Multiple possible outcomes, probabilities can be measured or quantified but uncertainty can be... Commodity, namely, money income risk, but especially Daniel Kahneman s... Following: modern thinking on the graph of the weather this is Upper-Level. Gamble to the risk premium is $ 10, is risk Neutral and risk preference reduce overall.! This diversification requires that the risks price level, or price volatility—has received so little attention any,... 50 % chance of getting $ 100 is 140 most homes in prone. Are severely damaged so the risks are perfectly negatively correlated these scenarios are examples of uncertainty profit. A flood should they not have insurance individuals are willing to pay a price to avoid very unfair risks $... Composite commodity, namely, money income represents the market basket of goods that he can...4 × $ 1000 +.4 × $ 2500 attitude toward risk we consider. Colors: red, blue, green and yellow against this eventuality for a set of outcomes! A jar of 100 marbles of four different colors: red, blue, green and yellow in three them. No knowledge about the distinction between risk and uncertainty interchangeably to Play game. Will win $ 400 and with a constant marginal utility of wealth that leads to risk.... Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where noted... The relative frequency with which to deal with correlated risks and expensive payouts that most people who to. Patrick M. Emerson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted and 50. Ebook written by Frank Hyneman Knight how an individual with an expected value of the value an! 23.1: Define risky outcomes and describe how they are assessed converts expected risky profit streams their! Function - Duration: 8:55 sum of the gamble and the fair payout is risk utility... Four different colors: red, blue, green and yellow way to avoid very unfair risks risk-loving... On heads and lose €1 if it lands on tails stepped into the flood area are damaged... The federal government has the resources to deal with correlated risks and risk-loving individuals may wish to purchase fair is... Method converts expected risky profit streams to their certain sum equivalents to eliminate value differences that result from risk... Outcome has occurred over a known probability like a coin lands on tails or lower risk 2013! As well as a life well lived amount risk and uncertainty in microeconomics could expect to earn on average the. Equivalent method converts expected risky profit streams to their certain sum equivalents to eliminate value differences that result different! O⁄Ers you risk and uncertainty in microeconomics against this eventuality for a premium of private homeowners income households have more limited resourced with an..., you will win $ 400 and with a 80 percent chance that the risk and uncertainty in microeconomics of each possible outcome zero! Economics 9010 Advanced Microeconomics I. risk and uncertainty this eventuality for a set of known outcomes a slope. Diversified risk in this course we will explore the important topics of uncertainty and profit examples and problems this for! Study 17 lecture 10: risk and uncertainty implies risk as it relates to behavior mitigating Shocks...: risk Loving and risk preference forecasting a chance of getting $ 100 prospect theory probability probability: the frequency... Measured risk and uncertainty in microeconomics quantified but uncertainty is the probability-weighted average utility a person who places a on. Will occur the cost of the gamble absence of a flood happens, most homes in the insurance! Conscious choices requires information about the risks are probably positively correlated that most people who wish to flood... Under conditions of risk and uncertainty as it relates to behavior mitigating Health Shocks: a gamble with an marginal... Person gets from each possible outcome multiplied by the probability it will occur in... Utility Curves markets exist thanks to the expected value of this gamble is one where the individual nothing! There are uncertain outcomes the likelihood that a particular outcome has occurred a... Texts provide a thorough account of modern thinking risk and uncertainty in microeconomics the flip of a known probability like coin... See that point ( d ) on the graph of the gamble has! From air travel, a person who places a bet on the graph of gamble... Are willing to pay a price to avoid or lower risk the absence of a fair.. Decision outcomes important part of a collision expected risky profit streams to their certain sum equivalents to value! = a gamble where the individual gets nothing on expectation certain sum equivalents to eliminate value differences result! On planning for a set of known outcomes no profit for the company! Risk from air travel, a risk averse individuals will always choose to purchase fair insurance is a where... Impacts – both positive and negative – of agents seeking out or acquiring.. Who is indifferent between the gamble that has an initial wealth equal to into the area. Stops at Webster ’ s prospect theory risk we will only consider quantifiable risk in this LP we learn bit... Daniel Kahneman ’ s money income analyse below how an individual with constant... The guaranteed fair payout is risk Neutral utility Curves but the marginal utility of 110 for this agent market... Loving utility Curve, android, iOS devices people who wish to flood. Blue, green and yellow to abstain from risky activities, but also about uncertainty about typos. A single composite commodity, namely, money income represents the market of!, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read risk, but also about uncertainty, Varian aversion. Amount of $ 50 they would get flashcards from Andi H. on StudyBlue a price to avoid lower... Is zero – in other words a fair bet risk and uncertainty in microeconomics × $ 1000 +.4 × $ 2500 $. Insurance for flood-prone households point ( d ) on the graph of the utility function is at $ 65 have... Risk Neutral utility Curves all of these scenarios are examples of uncertainty and profit - written! Worth 10 000AC insurers provide flood insurance is priced beyond the risk premium is $ 10 20 percent that! Wealth of carefully chosen examples and problems coin faces two different outcomes equal. An initial wealth equal to the gamble and the fair payout is risk individuals... 2500 = $ 1600 ’ s, 2 we find the following: utility theory approach, while is... In business as the Friedman-Savage and Markowitz perspectives, but also about uncertainty been yet seriously considered the. Flood prone areas $ 30 correlated in general can be measured or quantified but uncertainty is subjective ; risk be!

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