n accompanied by a change in the direction of accounting standard setting. Based in
large part on the FASB’s Conceptual Framework, the objective of standard setting has shifted from the determination of net
income (the income statement approach) to the valuation of assets and liabilities (the balance sheet approach). As
described in Dichev (2008), the conceptual focus on the balance sheet has been accompanied by a variety of new
accounting standards, including changes in accounting for goodwill and asset securitization as well as expanded
recognition rules for hedge accounting. There has also been broader adoption of fair value accounting, in which many
financial assets and liabilities are recognized on the balance sheet at market price rather than historical cost. Recent