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Financial Decision-Making in Markets and Firms: A Behavioral Perspective

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Author Info
Werner F. M. De Bondt
Richard H. Thaler

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Abstract

In its attempt to model financial markets and the behavior of firms, modern finance theory starts from a set of normatively appealing axioms about individual behavior. Specifically, people are said to be risk-averse expected utility maximizers and unbiased Bayesian forecasters, i.e., agents make rational choices based on rational expectations. The rational paradigm may be criticized, however, because (1) the assumptions are descriptively false and incomplete, and (2) the theory often lacks predictive power. One way to make progress is to characterize actual decision- making behavior. Efforts along these lines are made by behavioral economists and psychologists. This paper provides a selective review of recent work in behavioral finance. First, we ask why economists should be concerned with the psychology of decision-making. Next, we discuss a series of key behavioral concepts, e.g., people's well-known tendencies to give too much weight to vivid information and to show excessive self-confidence. The body of the paper illustrates the relevance of these concepts to important topics in investment theory and corporate finance. In each case, behavioral finance offers a new perspective on results that are anomalous within the standard approach.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 4777.

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Date of creation: Jun 1994
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:4777

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Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Antonio Bernardo & Ivo Welch, 1997. "On the Evolution of Overconfidence and Entrepreneurs," University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson Graduate School of Management 1123, Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. B. Maciejovsky & E. Kirchler, . "Simultaneous Over- and Underconfidence: Evidence from Experimental Asset Markets," Sonderforschungsbereich 373 2001-44, Humboldt Universitaet Berlin.
  3. Dasgupta, Amil & Prat, Andrea, 2003. "Trading Volume with Career Concerns," CEPR Discussion Papers 4034, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Boris Maciejovsky & Tarek El-Sehitya & Hans Haumerb & Christian Helmensteinc & Erich Kirchlerd, . "Hindsight Bias and Individual Risk Attitude within the Context of Experimental Asset Markets," Papers on Strategic Interaction 2002-16, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Strategic Interaction Group. [Downloadable!]
  5. Freeman, Steven F., 1997. "Good decisions : reconciling human rationality, evolution, and ethics," Working papers WP 3962-97., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management. [Downloadable!]
  6. Christophe Boucher, 2003. "“Winners take all competition”, creative destruction and stock market bubble," Finance 0305010, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  7. Gneezy, U., 1996. "Probability Judgements in Multi-Stage Problems: Experimental Evidence of Systematic Biases," Discussion Paper 1996-01, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  8. Ming Dong & Chris Robinson & Chris Veld, 2004. "Why Individual Investors Want Dividends," Finance 0412009, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Cesarini, David & Sandewall, Örjan & Johannesson, Magnus, 2003. "Confidence Interval Estimation Tasks and the Economics of Overconfidence," Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 535, Stockholm School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Shachar Kariv, 2005. "Overconfidence and Informational Cascades," Levine's Bibliography 122247000000000406, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  11. Glaser, Markus & Weber, Martin, 2003. "September 11 and Stock Return Expectations of Individual Investors," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 03-17, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim & Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim.
  12. Glaser, Markus & Weber, Martin, 2003. "Overconfidence and Trading Volume," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 03-07, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim & Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim. [Downloadable!]
  13. Burton G. Malkiel, 2003. "The Efficient Market Hypothesis and Its Critics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 17(1), pages 59-82, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Ari Hyytinen & Mika Pajarinen, 2005. "Why Are All New Entrepreneurs Better Than Average? Evidence from Subjective Failure Rate Expectations," Discussion Papers 987, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. [Downloadable!]
  15. Glaser, Markus & Weber, Martin, 2003. "Overconfidence and Trading Volume," CEPR Discussion Papers 3941, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Dennis Dittrich & Werner Güth & Boris Maciejovsky, 2005. "Overconfidence in investment decisions: An experimental approach," European Journal of Finance, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 11(6), pages 471-491, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  17. Matthias Gysler & Jamie Kruse & Renate Schubert, 2002. "Ambiguity and Gender Differences in Financial Decision Making: An Experimental Examination of Competence and Confidence Effects," Economics working paper series 02/23, CER-ETH - Center of Economic Research (CER-ETH) at ETH Zurich. [Downloadable!]
  18. Franklin Allen, 2001. "Do Financial Institutions Matter?," Center for Financial Institutions Working Papers 01-04, Wharton School Center for Financial Institutions, University of Pennsylvania. [Downloadable!]
  19. Gerlinde Fellner, 2004. "Illusion of control as a source of poor diversification: An experimental approach," Papers on Strategic Interaction 2004-28, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Strategic Interaction Group. [Downloadable!]
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