Behavioral and Experimental Research in Risk and Insurance

Research Focus

The team is interested in improving our understanding of human decision making under risk and uncertainty by integrating insights from economics and psychology. We use experiments and real-world data to provide a more accurate description of human behavior in risky situations with a particular interest in violations of standard rationality and means to improve welfare. Our research contributes to ongoing debates in the academic literature and in practice to provide implications for contemporary real-world challenges. The following list provides a selection of current areas of research:

  • Characterization of risk and uncertainty preferences

  • Resolution of incentive and selection problems in insurance

  • The role of uncertainty and ambiguity preferences

  • Insurance demand and contract nonperformance risk

  • The role of pro-social preferences under risk and uncertainty

  • Honesty and technology

  • Health insurance

Research Lead

Christian Biener K

Prof. Dr. Christian Biener

Associate Professor of Behavioral Risk Management
+41 71 224 79 81

christian.biener@unisg.ch

Team

  • Walthes Felix e1693905391204

    M.A. Felix M. Walthes

    Research Associate
  • Zou Lan e1693906386518

    M.Sc. Lan Zou

    Research Associate

Peer-Reviewed Journal Publications

  • Biener, C., and A. Landmann, 2022, Recovery Mode: Non-Cognitive Skills After the Storm, Forthcoming in World Development
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, and R. Jia, 2021, Globalization of the Insurance Industry: A Blessing or a Curse?
    European Journal of International Management, 15(2/3): 457-483.
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, and M. Lehmann, 2020, Weighting Privacy Against Insurance Coverage
    Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 180(2020): 608-620.
  • Biener, C., A. Landmann, and M. I. Santana, Contract Nonperformance Risk and Uncertainty in Insurance Markets
    Journal of Public Economics, 175(2019): 65-83.
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, A. Landmann, and S. Pradhan, 2018, Can Group Incentives Alleviate Moral Hazard? The Role of Pro-Social Preferences
    European Economic Review, 101(2018): 230–249.
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, and R. Jia, 2017, The Structure of the Global Reinsurance Market: An Analysis of Efficiency, Scale, and Scope
    Journal of Banking and Finance, 77(1): 213–229.
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, and J. H. Wirfs, 2016, The Determinants of Efficiency and Productivity in the Swiss Insurance Industry
    European Journal of Operational Research, 248(2): 703–714.
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, and S. Pradhan, 2015, Recent Research Developments Affecting Nonlife Insurance: The CAS Risk Premium Project 2013
    Risk Management and Insurance Review, 18(1): 129–141.
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, and J. H. Wirfs, 2015, Insurability of Cyber Risk: An Empirical Analysis
    Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance, 40(1): 131–158.
  • Biener, C., M. Eling, and J. T. Schmit, 2014, Regulation in Microinsurance Markets: Principles, Practice, and Directions for Future Development
    World Development, 58(1): 21–40.
  • Biener, C., 2013, Pricing in Microinsurance Markets
    World Development, 41(1): 132–144.
  • Biener, C., and M. Eling, 2013, Recent Research Developments Affecting Nonlife Insurance: The CAS Risk Premium Project 2012
    Risk Management and Insurance Review, 16(2): 219–231.
  • Biener, C., and M. Eling, 2012, Organization and Efficiency in the International Insurance Industry: A Cross-Frontier Analysis
    European Journal of Operational Research, 221(2): 454–468.
  • Biener, C., and M. Eling, 2012, Insurability in Microinsurance Markets: An Analysis of Problems and Potential Solutions
    Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance, 37(1): 77–107.
  • Biener, C., and M. Eling, 2011, The Performance of Microinsurance Programs: A Data Envelopment Analysis
    Journal of Risk and Insurance, 78(1): 83–115.

Working Papers and Work in Progress

  • Biener, C., and L. Zou, 2022, The Value of Choice in Mandatory Health Insurance,
    Invitation to revise & resubmit from Journal of Risk and Insurance
  • Biener, C., and A. Waeber, 2022, Would I Lie to You? How Interaction with Chatbots Induces Dishonesty, Submitted
  • Biener, C., and L. Zou, 2022, Determinants and Consequences of Poor Decisions in Health Insurance

Monographs and Other Publications (Non-Peer-Reviewed)

  • Biener, C., 2022, Effekt der COVID-19 Pandemie auf die 2020 OKP Gesundheitskosten, commissioned study for santésuisse.
  • Biener, C. and T. Epper, 2020, Contact-Tracing-App: Es geht nur, wenn alle mitmachen,
    guest commentary for Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).
  • Biener, C., 2019, How Should Medical Costs Be Allocated?
    commissioned study for the Credit Suisse Research Institute.
  • Biener, C., 2019, Artificial Conversational Agents – Changing the Norms?
    I.VW Management Information.
  • Biener, C., A. Waeber, and L. Zou, 2019, Heterogeneity in Behavioral Biases: A Review of the Literature
    commissioned study for the Swiss Re Institute.
  • Biener, C., Eling, M., and J. H. Wirfs, 2015
    Cyber Risk: Risikomanagement und Versicherbarkeit, I.VW Schriftenreihe, Band 54.
  • Beck, K., von Wyl, V., Biener, C., and M. Eling, 2014
    Brennpunkt Solidarität: Diskussionsbeiträge zur Weiterentwicklung der Sozialen Krankenversicherung, Band 125, Schriftenreihe der SGGP (Bern: Verlag SGGP).
  • Biener, C., and M. Eling, 2012, Emerging Markets gewinnen an Bedeutung
    Zeitschrift für Versicherungswesen, 63(4): 119–122.
  • Biener, C., and M. Eling, 2011, Mikroversicherung: Profitabilität und Wachstumschancen in Zukunftsmärkten
    Zeitschrift für das gesamte Kreditwesen, 64(8): 403–404.

Conference Presentations and Invited Talks

  • 09/2009 AFIR / LIFE Colloquium 2009, Munich (Germany)
  • 11/2009 5th International Microinsurance Conference, Dakar (Senegal)
  • 07/2010 World Risk and Insurance Economics Congress, Singapore (Republic of Singapore)
  • 11/2010 WiMa Kongress, Ulm (Germany)
  • 02/2011 Recent Advances in Efficiency Measurement in the Insurance Industry, Ulm (Germany)
  • 06/2011 ASTIN / AFIR Colloquium 2011, Madrid (Spain)
  • 09/2011 Contemporary Microfinance: Institutions, Policies, and Performance, Cairo (Egypt)
  • 04/2012 2012 Microinsurance Conference, Enschede (Netherlands)
  • 08/2012 ARIA 2012 Annual Meeting, Minneapolis (USA)
  • 12/2012 SBF Brown – Bag Seminar, St. Gallen (Switzerland)
  • 05/2013 ZEW/Uni Mannheim Experimental Seminar, Mannheim (Germany)
  • 04/2014 Swiss Society for Financial Market Research Annual Meeting, Zurich (Switzerland)
  • 06/2014 International Insurance Society (IIS) 50th Annual Seminar, London (United Kingdom)
  • 07/2014 APRIA 2014 Annual Conference, Moscow (Russia)
  • 08/2014 ARIA 2014 Annual Meeting, Seattle (USA)
  • 08/2014 29th Annual Congress of the European Economic Association, Toulouse (France)
  • 09/2014 CRO Forum, Zurich (Switzerland)
  • 09/2014 EGRIE 2014 Seminar, St. Gallen (Switzerland)
  • 12/2014 CEAR/MRIC Behavioral Insurance Workshop 2014, Munich (Germany)
  • 04/2015 University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Seminar, Madison (USA)
  • 08/2015 World Risk and Insurance Economics Congress, Munich (Germany)
  • 08/2016 ARIA 2016 Annual Meeting, Boston (USA)
  • 09/2016 EGRIE 2016 Seminar, Limassol (Cyprus)
  • 11/2016 Geneva Association Annual Liability Regimes Conference, Munich (Germany)
  • 12/2016 CEAR/MRIC Behavioral Insurance Workshop 2016, Munich (Germany)
  • 03/2017 6th Swiss Cyber Think Tank, Zurich (Switzerland)
  • 08/2018 ARIA 2018 Annual Meeting, Chicago (USA)
  • 01/2019 ASSA Annual Meeting 2019, Atlanta (USA)
  • 04/2019 Swiss Society for Financial Market Research Annual Meeting, Zurich (Switzerland)
  • 05/2019 cege Research Colloquium, Göttingen (Germany)
  • 08/2019 ARIA 2019 Annual Meeting, San Francisco (USA)
  • 08/2020 ARIA 2020 Annual Meeting, New York / Zoom (USA)
  • 09/2020 ESA Global Online Around-the-Clock Meetings, Virtual (USA)

Program Committees

  • World Risk and Insurance Economics Congress (WRIEC)
  • Annual Conference of the Swiss Society for Financial Market Research