Critical Issues in Risk Homeostasis Theory

Abstract

Instead of a response, this rejoinder should perhaps be called attempt at a response. The many critical issuesraised by as many as six authors from varied disciplinary backgrounds undoubtedly deserve more profound and detailed study than was possible for an expeditious and reasonably succinct reply. The present discussion, therefore, focuses upon those issues that appear to be among the most crucial: the question of empirical verified ability; testing the theory on new data; the strength of counter evidence; the relation to conventional utility theory; questions of modeling and aggregation; and the nature of homeostasis and how it is maintained. Several new empirical observations are brought into the debate.... Language: en