Positive economics

Relevance (law)

Loss aversion

Prospect theory

Gene

Endowment effect

Behavioral economics

Political science

Psychology

Economics

Microeconomics

Chemistry

Behavioural economics

Biochemistry

Robustness (evolution)

Annual Review of Economics

The endowment effect is among the best known findings in behavioral economics and has been used as evidence for theories of reference-dependent preferences and loss aversion. However, a recent literature has questioned the robustness of the effect in the laboratory, as well as its relevance in the field. In this review, we provide a summary of the evidence and describe recent theoretical developments that can potentially reconcile the different findings, with a focus on expectation-based reference points. We also survey recent work from psychology that provides either alternatives to or refinements of the usual loss-aversion explanation. We argue that loss aversion is still the leading paradigm for understanding the endowment effect, but given the rich psychology behind the effect, a version of the theory that encompasses multiple reference points may be required.

The Endowment Effect