文章推荐：保险需求及其偏差之谜｜保险学术前沿

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the phenomenon of underinsurance against high-loss risks, emphasizing its severe social implications, particularly in developing countries. It highlights behavioral biases and financial literacy as key factors influencing insurance demand and decision-making [2][4]. Summary by Sections Introduction - The underinsurance phenomenon poses significant social challenges, especially in developing countries, due to substantial losses from natural disasters, diseases, and other risks [6]. Insurance Demand Puzzles - Three typical insurance puzzles are identified: underinsurance for low-probability high-loss risks, overinsurance for high-probability low-loss risks, and low demand for specific high-probability high-loss risks like long-term care insurance [3][8]. - Behavioral biases, such as short-sightedness and narrow framing, contribute to these puzzles by leading to suboptimal risk assessments and insurance decisions [4][8]. Behavioral Biases and Heuristics - Various cognitive biases affect insurance decision-making, including: - Coarse probability categorization, leading to misjudgment of risk probabilities [9]. - Short-sightedness, causing individuals to underestimate risks due to a focus on immediate concerns [17]. - Overconfidence, where individuals accurately assess average risks but underestimate their specific risk exposure [17]. - Availability heuristic, where recent or vivid memories disproportionately influence risk perception [21]. - Emotional factors, which significantly impact perceived value and insurance demand [23][25]. Financial Literacy as a Solution - Financial literacy is proposed as a systematic solution to address the underinsurance issue by enhancing public understanding and application of financial concepts [4][28]. - Studies indicate that higher financial literacy correlates with better insurance purchasing decisions and reduced behavioral biases [29][30]. - Financial education can effectively improve insurance demand, particularly in communities with low financial literacy [32][31]. Conclusion - The article concludes that addressing financial literacy gaps may be a viable pathway to mitigate the negative impacts of behavioral biases on insurance demand, ultimately leading to better financial outcomes for individuals [36][37].