Range-Dependent Utility

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of range-dependent utility. Instead of reference dependence which evaluates outcomes relative to some reference point, we postulate dependence on a given lottery (set of lotteries) outcomes range. In this way the decision maker is a fully rational expected utility maximizer only within a certain range. Range-dependent utility enables experimental results to be explained without recourse to the probability weighting function. Experimental data show that range-dependent utilities can be normalized to obtain decision utility - a single utility function able to describe decisions involving lotteries defned over diferent ranges. Both the data analysis as well as theoretical considerations concerning monotonicity indicate that the decision utility should be of S-shape