Trusting Behavior, Risk Preference and Loss Aversion

Abstract

—This paper uses experimental methods to study if individual’s risk preference or loss aversion will affect people’s trusting behavior. The results of the experiment show that individuals’ risk preference significantly impacts people’s trusting behavior. Compared with other subjects, people who are relatively less risk-averse show a higher degree of trust in others. Moreover, individuals’ loss aversion also affects people’s trusting behavior, subjects with relatively lower levels of loss aversion exhibit a higher degree of trust in others.