AN EXPERIMENT ON RISK TAKING AND EVALUATION PERIODS

AN EXPERIMENT ON RISK TAKING AND EVALUATION PERIODS

July 1996 | Uri Gneezy and Jan Potters
Uri Gneezy and Jan Potters conducted an experiment to test whether the frequency of evaluating outcomes influences individuals' investment in risky assets. The study found that the more frequently returns are evaluated, the more risk-averse investors tend to be. This aligns with the behavioral hypothesis of "myopic loss aversion" (MLA), which posits that people are more sensitive to losses than to gains. The results have implications for the equity premium puzzle and marketing strategies of fund managers. The experiment manipulated the evaluation period by providing different feedback and information feedback to two groups of participants, with one group receiving feedback after each round and the other after every three rounds. The findings showed that subjects in the group with less frequent feedback (low frequency) made more risky choices, supporting the MLA hypothesis. The study suggests that providing investors with less frequent information feedback about their investments might make the investments appear more attractive, potentially increasing their willingness to take risks.Uri Gneezy and Jan Potters conducted an experiment to test whether the frequency of evaluating outcomes influences individuals' investment in risky assets. The study found that the more frequently returns are evaluated, the more risk-averse investors tend to be. This aligns with the behavioral hypothesis of "myopic loss aversion" (MLA), which posits that people are more sensitive to losses than to gains. The results have implications for the equity premium puzzle and marketing strategies of fund managers. The experiment manipulated the evaluation period by providing different feedback and information feedback to two groups of participants, with one group receiving feedback after each round and the other after every three rounds. The findings showed that subjects in the group with less frequent feedback (low frequency) made more risky choices, supporting the MLA hypothesis. The study suggests that providing investors with less frequent information feedback about their investments might make the investments appear more attractive, potentially increasing their willingness to take risks.
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