In this paper, we use the risk apportionment technique of Eeckhoudt, Rey and Schlesinger (2007) to study higher order risk preferences for others’ health as well as ex-ante and ex-post inequality preferences for social risky distributions, and their interaction. In an experiment on a sample of university students acting as impartial spectators, we observe risk aversion towards social health losses and a dislike of ex-ante inequality. In addition, evidence for ex-post inequality seeking is much weaker than evidence for ex-ante inequality aversion. Because ex-ante inequality aversion is unrelated to risk aversion, we conclude that simple forms of utilitarianism are not relevant for individual judgment of social risk over health. Last, our investigation of precautionary distribution, which would occur when one particular group in the society suffers from background health risk, shows substantial polarization of preferences.

在本文中，我们使用 Eeckhoudt、Rey 和 Schlesinger (2007) 的风险分配技术来研究他人健康的高阶风险偏好以及社会风险分布的事前和事后不平等偏好及其相互作用。在一项以大学生作为公正旁观者样本的实验中，我们观察到对社会健康损失的风险厌恶和对事前不平等的厌恶。此外，事后寻求不平等的证据比事前厌恶不平等的证据要弱得多。由于事前不平等厌恶与风险厌恶无关，因此我们得出结论，简单形式的功利主义与个人对社会风险而非健康的判断无关。最后，我们对预防性分配的调查显示，当社会中某一特定群体患有背景健康风险时，就会发生预防性分配，结果显示出偏好的严重两极分化。