This paper contributes to the widespread discussion of the sources of the divergence between WTA and WTP values. The paper reports on theoretical and empirical investigations which show that value and outcome uncertainty offer an explanation for this disparity. Given a set of hypotheses...

Most studies of homework effectiveness relate time spent on homework to test performance, and find a nonmonotonic relationship. A theoretical model shows that this can occur even when additional homework helps all students because of the way in which variables are defined. However, some students...

If its utility function is everywhere increasing and concave, rank-dependent expected utility shares a troubling property with expected utility aversion to the same moderate-stakes risk at every wealth level implies an extreme aversion to large-stakes risks. In fact, the problem may be even...

Most studies of homework effectiveness relate time spent on homework to test performance, and find a nonmonotonic relationship. A theoretical model shows that this can occur even when additional homework helps all students because of the way in which variables are defined. However, some students...

In this paper, we investigate the possibility of a managerial input that experiences increasing compensation along with decreasing intensity. We call this type of input a "Kiffin good" after the head football coach Lane Kiffin. We propose a novel production process that might lead to Kiffin...

This dissertation contains three essays on risk aversion. In the first essay, we an-alyze comparative risk aversion in a new way, through a comparative statics problemin which, for a cost, agents can shift from an initial probability distribution towarda preferred distribution. The Ross...

In Chapter 2, we present a model that allows us to study the effect ofincreased competition among charities for donations, and show that it willresult in a lower provision of public goods. When charities get donations,they must pay two fundraising costs: a travel cost and an extra cost,...

In this paper, we investigate the possibility of a managerial input that experiences increasing compensation along with decreasing intensity. We call this type of input a "Kiffin good" after the head football coach Lane Kiffin. We propose a novel production process that might lead to Kiffin behavior