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An experimental study on investors’ status quo bias and its determinants

Abstract

Status quo bias is an important factor which affects investors’ decision-making. The extant research on this issue only takes the prospect theory into consideration. In fact, framing effect, investor emotion and information structure are also important variables affecting status quo bias. This paper explores the impact on investors’ status quo bias from the perspectives of framing effect, investor emotion and information structure, using the experimental method. Results show that investors’ status quo bias is higher in the price differential frame than in the ratio frame of the investable portfolio. In addition, investors’ status quo bias does exist in the three emotions conditions. Particularly, status quo bias is lower in the positive emotion investors and higher in the negative emotion. Respondents’ choice of certain options is five times as uncertain options. The level of status quo bias in self-status assignment group is higher than that in external-status assignment group.

摘要

现状偏见是影响投资者决策的一个重要因素, 现有研究主要利用前景理论对其进行阐释。 框架效应、 投资者情绪以及信息结构在投资者现状偏见中起着重要作用。 利用实验方法研究了三者对投资者现状偏见的影响, 研究结果表明: 差值投资组合框架中投资者被试的现状偏见程度高于比率投资组合框架中的投资者被试的现状偏见程度; 三种情绪组中均存在投资者现状偏见, 积极情绪下被试的偏见水平较低, 消极情绪下被试的偏见水平较高; 被试选择信息结构确定的选项是选择信息模糊选项的5倍, 投资者被试对外在现状赋值的现状偏见小于自我现状赋值的现状偏见程度。

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Correspondence to Jianbiao Li.

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Li, J., Ren, G., Ma, Q. et al. An experimental study on investors’ status quo bias and its determinants. Front. Bus. Res. China 3, 543–565 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11782-009-0026-y

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