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Beyond information: Disclosure, distracted attention, and investor behavior

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  • Hillenbrand, Adrian
  • Schmelzer, André

Abstract

Financial disclosure documents provide investors with product details to facilitate informed investment decisions. We investigate whether the appearance – the visual frame – of disclosure documents impacts risk and return expectations and investment behavior. In our experiment, subjects decide about investments into real-life mutual funds. We find that subjects expect a smaller return variance, invest more and gather less correct information if visual distractors are present in the visual frame. Distracted attention is one potential explanation of our results suggesting that disclosure policies should take the visual frame into account.

Suggested Citation

  • Hillenbrand, Adrian & Schmelzer, André, 2017. "Beyond information: Disclosure, distracted attention, and investor behavior," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(C), pages 14-21.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:beexfi:v:16:y:2017:i:c:p:14-21
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbef.2017.08.002
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    Cited by:

    1. P. Münchhalfen & R. Gaschler, 2021. "Attention Distribution of Current Key Investor Documents: Standardization as a Long-Term Goal of the PRIIP Regulation," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 73-94, March.
    2. Elizabeth Nedumparambil & Anup Kumar Bhandari, 2022. "Risk factors, uncertainty, and investment decision: evidence from mutual fund flows from India," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 349-372, December.
    3. D. Scheld & O. Stolper & A. Walter, 2021. "Double Dutch Finally Fixed? A Large-Scale Investigation into the Readability of Mandatory Financial Product Information," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 151-178, June.
    4. David Danz & Lise Vesterlund & Alistair J. Wilson, 2020. "Belief Elicitation: Limiting Truth Telling with Information on Incentives," NBER Working Papers 27327, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Rosella Castellano & Marco Mancinelli & Giorgia Ponsi & Gaetano Tieri, 2021. "What if versus probabilistic scenarios: a neuroscientific analysis," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 299(1), pages 331-347, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Investment decision; Experiment; Disclosure; Investor protection; Attention;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D18 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Protection
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations

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