Abstract
The expected utility procedure imposes a one-to-one correspondence between sure prospects, outcomes and consequences which unintentionally prevents people from maximising their expected utility and causes them to define risky prospects in a logically contradictory way. This is because the procedure excludes probability dependent consequences. Through the story of Margit,** the paper shows that by including probability dependent consequences, people can realize their intention (according to the expected utility procedure) of maximising their expected utility and can define risky prospects consistently.
*
I thank Maurice Allais, Barbara Davidson, Steve Dowrick, Frank Jackson, Werner Leinfellner, Don Poskitt, Guido Rossi, Paul Somuelson. Herbert Simon, Jack Smart, Robert Sugden and Richard Sylvan.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Allais, M.: 1984, ‘The Foundations of the Theory of Utility and Risk’, in Hagen and Wenstøp (eds), 3–131.
Broome, J.: Nationality and the Sure-Thing Principle’ in Gay Meeks (ed), Rationality. Self-interest and Benevolence. Cambridge University Press, forthcoming.
de Finetti, B.: 1979, ‘A Short Confirmation of My Standpoint’, in M. Allais and O. Hagen (eds), Expected Utility Hypotheses and the Allais Paradox. Reidel, Dordrecht, 149.
Ellsberg, D.: 1954, ‘Classic and Current Notions of Measurable Utility’, Economic Journal. 64, 528–556.
Friedman, M. & Savage L.: 1984 ‘Utility Analyses of Choices Involving Risk’, Journal of Political Economy. 56, 279–304.
Hagen O. and F. Wenstøp (eds.), 1984, Progress in Utility and Risk Theory. Reidel, Dordrecht.
Harsanyi, J.: 1977, Rational Behavior and Bargaining Equilibrium in Games and Social Institutions. Cambridge University Press, U.S.A.
Harsanyi, J.: 1978, ‘Bayesian Decision Theory and Utilitarian Ethics’, American EconomicReview (Papers and Proceedings), 68(2),223–228.
Harsanyi, J.: 1983, ‘Use of Subjective Probabilities in Game Theory’, in Stigum and Wenstøp, 297–310.
Jeffrey, R.: 1983, The Logic of Decision, second edition, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Knight, F.: 1921, Risk Uncertainty and Profit, reprinted 1971, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Lopes, L.: 1987, ‘Between Hope and Fear the Psychology of Risk’, Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. 20, 255–295.
Malinvaud, E.: 1952, ‘A Note on von Neumann-Morgenstern’s Strong Independence Axiom’, Econometrica. 20, 679.
Markowitz, H.: 1959, Portfolio Selection. Wiley, New York.
Marschak, J.: 1950, ‘Rational Behavior, Uncertain Prospects and Measurable Utility’, Econometrica. 18, 111–141.
Múnera, H.: 1978, ‘Modelling of Individual Risk Attitudes in Decision Making Under Uncertainty: An Application to Nuclear Power’, Ph.D. dissertation. University of California, Berkeley.
Pope, R.: 1983, ‘The Pre-Outcome Period and the Utility of Gambling’, in B. Stigum and F. Wenstøp, 137–177.
Pope, R.: 1984, ‘The Utility of Gambling and of Outcomes: Inconsistent First Approximations’, in O. Hagen and F. Wenstøp, 251–273.
Pope, R.; 1985, Timing Contradictions in von Neumann and Morgenstern’s Axioms and in Savage’s’ sure-thing’ Proof, Theory and Decision. 18, 229–261.
Ramsey, F.: 1950, ‘Truth and Probability’, in R.B. Braithwaite (ed), Foundations of Mathematics and other Logical Essays. Humanities Press, New York, 156–198.
Samuelson, P.: 1952, ‘Probability Utility and the Independence Axiom’, Econometrica. 20, 670–678.
Samuelson, P. 1983, Foundations of Economic Analysis, enlarged edition, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
Savage, L.: 1972, The Foundations of Statistics, Wiley, New York.
Schoemaker, P.: 1982, ‘The Expected Utility Model’, Journal of Economic Literature, 20,559–563.
Stigum B. & Wenstøp, F.(eds): 1983, Foundations of Utility and Risk Theory with Applications. Reidel, Dordrecht
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pope*, R.E. (1991). Lowered Welfare Under The Expected Utility Procedure. In: Chikán, A. (eds) Progress in Decision, Utility and Risk Theory. Theory and Decision Library, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3146-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3146-9_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5387-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-3146-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive