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Do Women Panic More Than Men? An Experimental Study on Financial Decision

Author

Listed:
  • Hubert J. Kiss

    (Momentum Game Theory Research Group, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies Hungarian Academy of Sciences)

  • Ismael Rodriguez-Lara

    (Economics and international development, Middlesex University London)

  • Alfonso Rosa-Garcia

    (Facultad de Ciencias Juridicas y de la Empresa, Universidad Catolica San Antonio)

Abstract

We report experimental evidence on gender differences in financial decision that involves three depositors choosing between waiting or withdrawing their money from a common bank. We find that the position in the line, the fact of being observed and the observed decisions are key determinants to explain subjects’ behavior. Although both men and women value being observed, it has a greater effect on women’s decisions. Observing a withdrawal increases the likelihood of withdrawal but women and men do not react differently to what is observed, so they are equally likely to panic if a bank run is already underway. Interestingly, risk aversion has no predictive power on depositors’ behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Hubert J. Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez-Lara & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia, 2014. "Do Women Panic More Than Men? An Experimental Study on Financial Decision," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1406, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:has:discpr:1406
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hubert Janos Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez‐Lara & Alfonso Rosa‐García, 2012. "On the Effects of Deposit Insurance and Observability on Bank Runs: An Experimental Study," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(8), pages 1651-1665, December.
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    6. Kiss, Hubert Janos & Rodriguez-Lara, Ismael & Rosa-García, Alfonso, 2014. "Do social networks prevent or promote bank runs?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 87-99.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. EconPapers: Do Women Panic More Than Men? An Experimental Study on Financial Decision
      by Alessandro Cerboni in Knowledge Team on 2014-11-26 14:53:43

    Citations

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    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hubert J. Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez-Lara & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia, 2022. "Experimental bank runs," Chapters, in: Sascha Füllbrunn & Ernan Haruvy (ed.), Handbook of Experimental Finance, chapter 25, pages 347-361, Edward Elgar Publishing.
      • Hubert J. Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez-Lara & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia, 2021. "Experimental Bank Runs," ThE Papers 21/03, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    2. Markus Kinateder & Hubert János Kiss & Ágnes Pintér, 2020. "Would depositors pay to show that they do not withdraw? Theory and experiment," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 23(3), pages 873-894, September.
    3. Dijk, Oege, 2017. "Bank run psychology," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 87-96.
    4. Bayona, Anna & Peia, Oana, 2022. "Financial contagion and the wealth effect: An experimental study," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1184-1202.
    5. Hubert Janos Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez-Lara & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia, 2019. "Does response time predict withdrawal decisions? Lessons from a bank-run experiment," Review of Behavioral Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(3), pages 200-222, November.
    6. Kiss, H.J. & Rodriguez-Lara, I. & Rosa-García, A., 2016. "Think twice before running! Bank runs and cognitive abilities," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 12-19.
    7. König-Kersting, Christian & Trautmann, Stefan T. & Vlahu, Razvan, 2022. "Bank instability: Interbank linkages and the role of disclosure," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    8. Markus Kinateder & Hubert Janos Kiss & Agnes Pinter, 2015. "Would depositors like to show others that they do not withdraw? Theory and Experiment," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1553, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    9. Douglas D. Davis & Robert J. Reilly, 2016. "On Freezing Depositor Funds at Financially Distressed Banks: An Experimental Analysis," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 48(5), pages 989-1017, August.
    10. Park, Youngseok & Rabanal, Jean Paul & Rud, Olga A. & Grossman, Philip J., 2021. "An endogenous-timing conflict game," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 592-607.
    11. Philip J. Grossman & Youngseok Park & Jean Paul Rabanal & Olga A. Rud, 2019. "Gender differences in an endogenous timing conflict game," Working Papers 141, Peruvian Economic Association.
    12. Kiss, Hubert János & Rodriguez-Lara, Ismael & Rosa-García, Alfonso, 2015. "Kognitív képességek és stratégiai bizonytalanság egy bankrohamkísérletben [Cognitive abilities and strategic uncertainty in a bank-run experiment]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(10), pages 1030-1047.
    13. Kiss, Hubert J. & Rodriguez-Lara, Ismael & Rosa-Garcia, Alfonso, 2022. "Preventing (panic) bank runs," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    14. Hubert Janos Kiss & Ismael Rodriguez-Lara & Alfonso Rosa-Garcia, 2018. "Who runs first to the bank?," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 1826, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    15. König-Kersting, Christian & Trautmann, Stefan T. & Vlahu, Razvan, 2022. "Bank instability: Interbank linkages and the role of disclosure," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    16. Shakina, Ekaterina & Angerer, Martin, 2018. "Coordination and communication during bank runs," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 115-130.
    17. Peia, Oan & Vranceanu, Radu, 2017. "Experimental evidence on bank runs under partial deposit insurance," ESSEC Working Papers WP1705, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
    18. Davis, Douglas D. & Korenok, Oleg & Lightle, John P., 2022. "Liquidity regulation, banking history and financial fragility: An experimental examination," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 1372-1383.
    19. Martin Dufwenberg, 2014. "Banking on Experiments?," Working Papers 534, IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University.
    20. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2020_014 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Kiss, Hubert János & Rodriguez-Lara, Ismael & Rosa-Garcia, Alfonso, 2022. "Who withdraws first? Line formation during bank runs," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    22. Maria Semenova, 2018. "A Bank Run in a Classroom: Do Smart Depositors Withdraw on Time?," HSE Working papers WP BRP 64/FE/2018, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    23. Peia, Oana & Vranceanu, Radu, 2019. "Experimental evidence on bank runs with uncertain deposit coverage," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 214-226.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bank run; gender difference; strategic uncertainty; experimental evidence; coordination.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • G02 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Behavioral Finance: Underlying Principles
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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