We present an experiment designed to test the Modigliani-Miller theorem. Applyinga general equilibrium approach and not allowing for arbitrage among firmswith different capital structures, we find that, in accordance with the theorem, participantswell recognize changes in the systematic risk of...

Gneezy, List and Wu [Q. J. Econ. 121 (2006) 1283-1309] document that lotteries are often valued less than the lotteries’ worst outcomes. We show how to undo this result.

Previous studies have shown that decision makers are less other-regardingwhen their own payoff is risky than when it is sure. Empirical observationsalso indicate that people care more about identifiable than unidentifiableothers. In this paper, we report on an experiment designed to...

The study investigates protective responses in low probability and high loss risk situations.Particularly, it (1) detects individual protection valuations to variations in probability versus tovariations in loss for payment decisions and choice decisions, (2) elicits the thresholdprobability in...

This paper reports results of an experiment designed to analyze the link between riskydecisions made by couples and risky decisions made separately by each spouse. We estimateboth the spouses and the couples’ degrees of risk aversion and we assess how the risk preferencesof the two spouses...

This experimental study investigates whether individuals preferbounded rationality over rational choice theory when facing simpleinvestment tasks. First, participants state some personal parametersthat serve as an input to render a theoretical approach, namelysatisficing or optimality,...

This paper investigates factors influencing individual portfolio allocations withparticular focus on the role of illusion of control. By forming their portfolio of tworisky lotteries and one risk-less alternative, subjects are requested to reach a targetinvestment profit, whereby equal...

In a cascade experiment subjects are confronted with artificial predecessors prdecting in line with the BHW model (Bikhchandandi, Hirshleifer and Welch, 1992). Using the BDM mechanism we study subjects' probability assignments based on price limits for participating in the prediction game. We...

We examine the explanatory power of cascade models by implementing the BDM-mechanism in a simple cascade experiment in which subject have to decide on the prediction of a randomly choasen urn. Assigned price limits to participate in the prediction game are used as indicators of subjective...

We experimentally test overconfidence in investment decisions by offering participants the possibility to substitute their own for alternative investment choices.Overall, 149 subjects participated in two experiments, one with just one risky asset, the other with two risky assets. Overconfidence...