
An Empirical Review of Behavioral Decision Making in the Financial Markets
- 1 School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Traditional economics assumes that humans make rational decisions within optimally functioning markets, but real human behavior is only partially rational. Behavioral economics has emerged to address phenomena in financial markets that traditional economics cannot explain, such as the herd effect and the small firm effect. This shift challenges assumptions in traditional finance, prompting a reevaluation of human behavior as the cornerstone of economic and financial understanding. This paper delves into behavioral economics, focusing on the loss aversion theory and its emotional impact on economic decision-making. It analyzes market anomalies, including the momentum effect and long-term reversal, revealing how investor emotions can drive market volatility and asset prices deviating from their reasonable values. The framing effect is explored, demonstrating how scenario formulation changes can alter preferences in decision-making. The paper also discusses the endowment effect in the financial market, explaining its existence and its influence on investors' decisions and the overall market. By examining these aspects, the study finds that people's overreaction to market information can behaviorally impact investment decisions, leading to market anomalies and influencing price trends. The insights provided contribute to a more nuanced understanding of behavioral economics and its implications for financial systems.
Keywords
Loss Aversion, Endowment Effect, Framing Effect, Herd Mentality
[1]. Hu, J., Yu, J., Zhao, G., et al. (2022). Overview, Hotspots, and Trends in Behavioral Economics: A Comparative Study Based on International and Domestic Research. Management Modernization, 42(5), 141-151.
[2]. Han, S. (2021). The Strategic Position, Key Links, and Practical Orientation of Talent-Led Development in the New Era. Journal of Shenzhen University (Humanities & Social Sciences Edition), 38(6), 35-41.
[3]. Merkle, C. (2020). Financial Loss Aversion Illusion. Review of Finance, 24(2), 381-413.
[4]. Jegadeesh, N., & Titman, S. (1993). Returns to buying winners and selling losers: Implications for stock market efficiency. The Journal of Finance, 48(1), 65–91.
[5]. Zhu, M. (2021). Viewing the Financial World Through Behavioral Finance. Zhangjiang Science and Technology Review, (2), 29-31.
[6]. Rouwenhorst, K. G. (1998). International Momentum Strategies. The Journal of Finance, 53(1), 267–284.
[7]. Jegadeesh, N. (1990). Evidence of predictable behavior of security returns. The Journal of Finance, 45(3), 881.
[8]. Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1981). The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211(4481), 453–458.
[9]. Bless, H., Betsch, T., & Franzén, A. (1998). Framing the framing effect: the impact of context cues on solutions to the ‘Asian disease’ problem. European Journal of Social Psychology, 28(2), 287–291.
[10]. Yang, N., Liu, B. (2023). Application of Behavioral Economics Theory in Water Policy Formulation. Water Resources Development Research, 23(8), 29-32.
[11]. Thaler, R. H. (1980). Toward a positive theory of consumer choice. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 1(1), 39–60.
[12]. Hao, D. (2022). Construction and Application Research of Investor Sentiment Index in the Chinese Stock Market. Jilin University.
Cite this article
Yang,L. (2024). An Empirical Review of Behavioral Decision Making in the Financial Markets. Advances in Economics, Management and Political Sciences,78,120-126.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer/Publisher's Note
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
About volume
Volume title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Business and Policy Studies
© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who
publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this
series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published
version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial
publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and
during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See
Open access policy for details).