Using data from large scale, nationally representative sample surveys, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to famine increases schizophrenia risk at adulthood by studying the Great Leap Forward Famine in China (1959-1961). Our results show that, in the urban population, being...

Using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, how consumers choose a financial institution for their checking accounts is investigated in this study. It was found that, although most consumers value convenience as one of the most important decision‐making criteria, their definitions of...

Today’s financial service institutions have shifted from traditional face‐to‐face selling to direct marketing practices, including phone, mail, and computer technology. Consumer’s preferences toward face‐to‐face interaction versus direct means are empirically examined across 15...

Using the Surveys of Consumer Finances from 1992 to 1998, this article explores the reasons for not having a checking account, including product design, human capital, motivation for having a checking account, and institutional factors. Focusing primarily on reasons related to product design, we...

This study analyzed annual household outlays in the recent Consumer Expenditure Survey to obtain the cost of dual income for married couples. Of the crude differences between two- and one-earner married households in payments and expenditures, the portion reflecting structural differences in...

Evaluating and choosing a financial product often requires a trade-off between risk and returns on investment, as a riskier product may yield a higher return. We examine the effect of different reference points (i.e., a riskier reference vs. a safer reference) on the evaluation of a financial...