This doctoral thesis investigates the influence of overconfidence on the outcomes in experimental asset markets, both on the market and individual levels. Thesis consists of three parts. In the first part an instrument (test) is developed that is later used in economic experiments to measure...

Much analysis in macroeconomics empirically addresses economy-wide incentives behind consumer/investment choices by using insights from the way a single representative household would behave. Heterogeneity at the micro level can jeopardize attempts to back up the representative consumer...

This paper analyzes insurance demand under prospect theory in a simple model with two states of the world and fair insurance contracts. We argue that two different reference points are reasonable in this framework, state-dependent initial wealth or final wealth after buying full insurance....

This thesis analyzes two different aspects Social Policy in Germany is concerned with. This relates to (1) the aging of society and (2) the shifting household composition from 'classic' families to single-parent households. In Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 we analyze the evolution of the financial...