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Psychological Traits and Trading Strategies

Author

Listed:
  • Bruno Biais

    (IDEI at Toulouse University)

  • Denis Hilton

    (Social Psychology Department at Toulouse University)

  • Karine Mazurier

    (Social Psychology Department at Toulouse University)

  • Sébastien Pouget

    (Université des Sciences Sociales de Toulouse and CSEF, University of Salerno)

Abstract

This paper analyzes experimentally if psychological traits and cognitive biases affect trading behaviour and performance. Based on the answers of 67 subjects to a psychological questionnaire we measured their degree of overconfidence, impulsiveness and self-monitoring, and their availability, representativeness and confirmation biases. The 67 subjects also participated in an experimental financial market, in the spirit of Plott and Sunder (1988). We find that impulsive subjects tend to place more orders but do not incur larger losses. We also find that overconfident subjects and subjects prone to the confirmation and representativeness biases have a greater tendency to place unprofitable orders. This negative impact of cognitive biases on trading performance is sronger when subjects have acquired some experience of the game. This suggests that biased subjects engage in improper learning.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno Biais & Denis Hilton & Karine Mazurier & Sébastien Pouget, 2000. "Psychological Traits and Trading Strategies," CSEF Working Papers 39, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    • Handle: RePEc:sef:csefwp:39
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Klayman, Joshua & Soll, Jack B. & Gonzalez-Vallejo, Claudia & Barlas, Sema, 1999. "Overconfidence: It Depends on How, What, and Whom You Ask, , , , , , , , ," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 216-247, September.
    2. Milgrom, Paul & Stokey, Nancy, 1982. "Information, trade and common knowledge," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 17-27, February.
    3. Anderson, Matthew J. & Sunder, Shyam, 1995. "Professional Traders as Intuitive Bayesians," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 185-202, November.
    4. Brad M. Barber & Terrance Odean, 2000. "Trading Is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(2), pages 773-806, April.
    5. Camerer, Colin F, 1987. "Do Biases in Probability Judgment Matter in Markets? Experimental Evidence," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 77(5), pages 981-997, December.
    6. Camerer, Colin & Loewenstein, George & Weber, Martin, 1989. "The Curse of Knowledge in Economic Settings: An Experimental Analysis," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(5), pages 1232-1254, October.
    7. Reinhard Selten & Michael Mitzkewitz & Gerald R. Uhlich, 1997. "Duopoly Strategies Programmed by Experienced Players," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(3), pages 517-556, May.
    8. Matthew Rabin & Joel L. Schrag, 1999. "First Impressions Matter: A Model of Confirmatory Bias," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 114(1), pages 37-82.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Patterson, Fernando M. & Daigler, Robert T., 2014. "The abnormal psychology of investment performance," Review of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 55-63.
    2. Markus Glaser & Martin Weber, 2007. "Overconfidence and trading volume," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance Theory, Springer;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 32(1), pages 1-36, June.
    3. Dennis Dittrich & Werner Guth & Boris Maciejovsky, 2005. "Overconfidence in investment decisions: An experimental approach," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(6), pages 471-491.
    4. Julijana Angelovska, 2013. "Detecting Positive Feedback Trading when Autocorrelation is Positive," Zagreb International Review of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, vol. 16(1), pages 93-101, May.
    5. Glaser, Markus & Nöth, Markus & Weber, Martin, 2003. "Behavioral Finance," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 03-14, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim;Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim.
    6. Shahzad, Syed jawad hussain & Ali, Paeman & Saleem, Fawad & Ali, Sajid & Akram, Sehrish, 2013. "Stock market efficiency: Behavioral or traditional paradigm?Evidence from Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) and investors community of Pakistan," MPRA Paper 45095, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Locke, Peter R. & Mann, Steven C., 2005. "Professional trader discipline and trade disposition," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 401-444, May.
    8. Miraldo, M & Galizzi, M & Stavropoulou, C, 2013. "In sickness but not in wealth: Field evidence on patients’ risk preferences in the financial and health domain," Working Papers 31053, Imperial College, London, Imperial College Business School.
    9. repec:imp:wpaper:12579 is not listed on IDEAS

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