Preference for Increasing Wages: How do People Value Various Streams of Income?

25 Pages Posted: 29 Jun 2010

See all articles by Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Rutgers University, Camden

John Smith

Rutgers University-Camden

Date Written: June 28, 2010

Abstract

Prior studies have found that subjects prefer an improving sequence of income over a constant sequence, even if the constant sequence offers a larger present discounted value. However, little is known about how these preferences vary with the size of the wage payments. In each of our three studies, we find a relationship between the preference for increasing payments and the size of the payments. Further, our measure of the shape of the utility curve is not significantly related to this behavior. Our results roughly confirm an earlier theoretical prediction that the preference for increasing wage payments will be largest for payments which are neither very likely nor very unlikely to cover the cost of effort. Finally, consistent with the literature, we find mixed evidence regarding the applicability of these time preferences in domains other than money.

Keywords: Time Preferences, Experimental Economics, Intertemporal Choice

JEL Classification: C91, D90

Suggested Citation

Duffy, Sean and Smith, John, Preference for Increasing Wages: How do People Value Various Streams of Income? (June 28, 2010). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1631845 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1631845

Sean Duffy

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Rutgers University, Camden ( email )

Camden, NJ 08102
United States

John Smith (Contact Author)

Rutgers University-Camden ( email )

Department of Economics
311 N. 5th St., 421 Armitage Hall
Camden, NJ 08102
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.JohnSmithEcon.com/

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