IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/beexfi/v34y2022ics2214635022000193.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Individual differences in susceptibility to financial bullshit

Author

Listed:
  • Kienzler, Mario
  • Västfjäll, Daniel
  • Tinghög, Gustav

Abstract

What is the effect of seemingly impressive verbal financial assertions that are presented as true and meaningful but are actually meaningless; that is, financial pseudo-profound bullshit? We develop and validate a novel measurement scale to assess consumers’ ability to detect and distinguish financial bullshit. We show that this financial bullshit scale captures a unique construct that is only moderately correlated with related constructs such as financial knowledge, numeracy, and cognitive reflection. Consumers particular vulnerable to financial bullshit are more likely to be young, male, have a higher income, and be overconfident with regards to their own financial knowledge. The ability to detect and distinguish financial bullshit also predicts financial well-being while being less predictive of consumers’ self-reported financial behavior, suggesting that susceptibility to financial bullshit is linked to affective rather than behavioral reactions. Our findings have implications for the understanding of how financial communication impacts consumer decision making and financial well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Kienzler, Mario & Västfjäll, Daniel & Tinghög, Gustav, 2022. "Individual differences in susceptibility to financial bullshit," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:beexfi:v:34:y:2022:i:c:s2214635022000193
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbef.2022.100655
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214635022000193
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbef.2022.100655?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Brüggen, Elisabeth C. & Hogreve, Jens & Holmlund, Maria & Kabadayi, Sertan & Löfgren, Martin, 2017. "Financial well-being: A conceptualization and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 228-237.
    2. repec:cup:judgdm:v:10:y:2015:i:6:p:549-563 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Tinghög, Gustav & Ahmed, Ali & Barrafrem, Kinga & Lind, Thérèse & Skagerlund, Kenny & Västfjäll, Daniel, 2021. "Gender differences in financial literacy: The role of stereotype threat," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 405-416.
    4. repec:cup:judgdm:v:14:y:2019:i:2:p:109-119 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. repec:cup:judgdm:v:14:y:2019:i:6:p:658-670 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Strömbäck, Camilla & Skagerlund, Kenny & Västfjäll, Daniel & Tinghög, Gustav, 2020. "Subjective self-control but not objective measures of executive functions predicts financial behavior and well-being," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    7. Strömbäck, Camilla & Lind, Thérèse & Skagerlund, Kenny & Västfjäll, Daniel & Tinghög, Gustav, 2017. "Does self-control predict financial behavior and financial well-being?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(C), pages 30-38.
    8. O'Connor, Genevieve E. & Newmeyer, Casey E. & Wong, Nancy Yee Ching & Bayuk, Julia B. & Cook, Laurel A. & Komarova, Yuliya & Loibl, Cazilla & Lin Ong, L. & Warmath, Dee, 2019. "Conceptualizing the multiple dimensions of consumer financial vulnerability," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 421-430.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barrafrem, Kinga & Tinghög, Gustav & Västfjäll, Daniel, 2021. "Trust in the government increases financial well-being and general well-being during COVID-19," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    2. Osvaldo García-Mata & Mariana Zerón-Félix, 2022. "A review of the theoretical foundations of financial well-being," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(2), pages 145-176, June.
    3. Barrafrem, Kinga & Västfjäll, Daniel & Tinghög, Gustav, 2020. "Financial well-being, COVID-19, and the financial better-than-average-effect," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    4. Lenka Mynaříková & Vít Pošta, 2023. "The Effect of Consumer Confidence and Subjective Well-being on Consumers’ Spending Behavior," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 429-453, February.
    5. Hampson, Daniel P. & Gong, Shiyang & Xie, Yi, 2021. "How consumer confidence affects price conscious behavior: The roles of financial vulnerability and locus of control," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 693-704.
    6. Gentjan Çera & Khurram Ajaz Khan & Jaroslav Belas & Humberto Nuno Rito Ribeiro, 2020. "The Role of Financial Capability and Culture in Financial Satisfaction," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 39(4), pages 389-406, December.
    7. Paola Iannello & Angela Sorgente & Margherita Lanz & Alessandro Antonietti, 2021. "Financial Well-Being and Its Relationship with Subjective and Psychological Well-Being Among Emerging Adults: Testing the Moderating Effect of Individual Differences," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1385-1411, March.
    8. Rey-Ares, Lucía & Fernández-López, Sara & Castro-González, Sandra & Rodeiro-Pazos, David, 2021. "Does self-control constitute a driver of millennials’ financial behaviors and attitudes?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    9. Sara Fernández-López & Marcos à lvarez-Espiño & Lucía Rey-Ares, 2023. "A Comprehensive Approach to Measuring Financial Vulnerability and Literacy: Unveiling Connections," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.
    10. Dibb, Sally & Merendino, Alessandro & Aslam, Hussan & Appleyard, Lindsey & Brambley, William, 2021. "Whose rationality? Muddling through the messy emotional reality of financial decision-making," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 826-838.
    11. Susnaningsih Muat & Nurul Shahnaz Mahdzan & Mohd Edil Abd Sukor, 2024. "What shapes the financial capabilities of young adults in the US and Asia-Pacific region? A systematic literature review," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    12. Leonore Riitsalu & Rene Sulg & Henri Lindal & Marvi Remmik & Kristiina Vain, 2024. "From Security to Freedom— The Meaning of Financial Well-being Changes with Age," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 56-69, March.
    13. Vineetha Mathew & Santhosh Kumar P K & Sanjeev M A, 2024. "Financial Well-being and Its Psychological Determinants— An Emerging Country Perspective," FIIB Business Review, , vol. 13(1), pages 42-55, January.
    14. Noviarini, Jelita & Coleman, Andrew & Roberts, Helen & Whiting, Rosalind H., 2023. "Financial literacy and retirees' resource allocation decisions in New Zealand," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    15. Shekinah E. Dare & Wilco W. Dijk & Eric Dijk & Lotte F. Dillen & Marcello Gallucci & Olaf Simonse, 2023. "How Executive Functioning and Financial Self-efficacy Predict Subjective Financial Well-Being via Positive Financial Behaviors," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 232-248, June.
    16. Piotr Bialowolski & Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska & Eileen McNeely, 2021. "The Role of Financial Fragility and Financial Control for Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 1137-1157, June.
    17. Boto Ferreira, Mário & Costa Pinto, Diego & Maurer Herter, Márcia & Soro, Jerônimo & Vanneschi, Leonardo & Castelli, Mauro & Peres, Fernando, 2021. "Using artificial intelligence to overcome over-indebtedness and fight poverty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 411-425.
    18. Marco Aschenwald & Armando Holzknecht & Michael Kirchler & Michael Razen, 2023. "Determinants of Financial Literacy and Behavioral Bias among Adolescents," Working Papers 2023-01, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    19. Hoffmann, Arvid O.I. & Plotkina, Daria, 2020. "Why and when does financial information affect retirement planning intentions and which consumers are more likely to act on them?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 411-431.
    20. Malik, Faiza & Ishaq, Muhammad Ishtiaq, 2023. "Impact of minimalist practices on consumer happiness and financial well-being," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bullshit; Financial bullshit; Financial behavior; Financial well-being; Scale;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G41 - Financial Economics - - Behavioral Finance - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • G53 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Financial Literacy

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:beexfi:v:34:y:2022:i:c:s2214635022000193. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-behavioral-and-experimental-finance .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.