risk, patience, return

In a study of workers’ pay preferences, researchers found that there is no easy answer to the question of what workers prefer.

The research describes a game format in which 30 undergraduate students were given play money, a list of expenses to pay, and then received an opportunity to “earn” an income either by salary or some combination of salary and incentive.

Most of the students preferred a lower incentive level with a more stable salary as expenses increased. Presumably, they preferred a more dependable income rather than a speculative though potentially greater income.

Personally, I think the level of risk taking increases when the individual has less to lose which could mean he/she does not have much so why not risk what little is there.
However as one probably has gained some success economically, the individual abstains to take risks as he/she would usually once had.

Behaviourally, as consumers we rather spend than save.
This has direct relation to our risk taking ability.
If we are spenders today, we prefer a dependable income rather than a speculative one; as a dependable income assists in spending.

The converse of a spender is a saver.
This also implies that present spenders are a tad impatient in comparison to a saver, as saving calls for some sacrifice on present spending.
Sacrifice implies being patient for a future return on investment.