American Economic Review
ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)
Deciding When to Quit: Reference-Dependence over Slot Machine Outcomes
American Economic Review
vol. 105,
no. 5, May 2015
(pp. 366–70)
Abstract
We conduct tests for reference dependent loss aversion using slot machine gamblers' decisions on when to quit playing for a visit to a casino. Evidence for a lagged status-quo reference point is found in the aggregate, while endogenously determined reference points are found when conditioning on betting intensity choices. Significant deviations from the distributions implied by random quitting support the loss aversion and diminishing sensitivity hypotheses.Citation
Lien, Jaimie W., and Jie Zheng. 2015. "Deciding When to Quit: Reference-Dependence over Slot Machine Outcomes." American Economic Review, 105 (5): 366–70. DOI: 10.1257/aer.p20151036JEL Classification
- D12 Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
- D81 Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
- L83 Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism