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Recognition-Based and Familiarity-Based Portfolio Strategies - An Experimental Study

Author

Listed:
  • Linan Diao

    (Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena, Germany)

Abstract

Empirical evidences show that investors tend to be biased toward investing in domestic (home bias) and local (local bias) stocks. Familiarity is considered to be one of the reasons. A similar concept was proposed by Goldstein and Gigerenzer (1999, 2002), known as the recognition heuristic: "when choosing between two objects, of which only one is recognized, choose the recognized. Investors recognize or are familiar with local stocks, expect them to provide higher returns and, therefore, invest more in such stocks". We conducted an experiment in Jena, Germany to test whether subjects show local bias and use recognition-based and familiarity-based portfolio strategies. We categorized them into an experienced and an inexperienced group; in addition, we used two data periods, i.e., bull market and bear market, to see if they behave differently in the two markets. Results show that all participants invested more of their endowments in the stock market in bull rather than bear market. All participants showed greater familiarity with local stocks. However, the experienced participants only invested more in local rather than recognized and familiar stocks; on the contrary, the inexperienced participants invested more in recognized and familiar but not local stocks. Our experiment shows no evidence that familiarity is a reason for local bias.

Suggested Citation

  • Linan Diao, 2011. "Recognition-Based and Familiarity-Based Portfolio Strategies - An Experimental Study," Jena Economics Research Papers 2011-010, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
  • Handle: RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2011-010
    as

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    File URL: https://oweb.b67.uni-jena.de/Papers/jerp2011/wp_2011_010.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Greiner, Ben, 2004. "An Online Recruitment System for Economic Experiments," MPRA Paper 13513, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Recognition Heuristic; recognition-based portfolio strategy; familiarity-based portfolio strategy; local bias;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance

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