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Abstract:
We experimentally test overconfidence in investment decisions by offering participants the possibility to substitute their own for alternative investment choices. Overall, 149 subjects participated in two experiments, one with just one risky asset, the other with two risky assets. Overconfidence increases (i)
with the absolute deviation from optimal choices, (ii) with task complexity, and (iii) decreases with uncertainty as indicated by the difference between willingness to pay and to accept.

Risky Decision Making, Behavioral Finance, Portfolio Choice, Experimental Economics

Abstract:
Overall, 72 subjects invest their endowment in four risky assets. Each combination of assets yields the same expected return and variance of returns. Illusion of expertise prevails when one prefers nevertheless the self-selected portfolio. After being randomly assigned to groups of four, subjects are asked to elect their "expert" based on responses to a prior decision task. Using the random price mechanism reveals that 64% of the subjects prefer their own portfolio over the average group portfolio or the expert's portfolio. Illusion of expertise is shown to be stable individually, over alternatives, and for both eliciting methods, willingness to pay and to accept.

Investment Decisions, Portfolio Selection, Overconfidence, Unrealistic Optimism, Illusion of Control, Endowment Effect

Abstract:
In this paper we investigate individual overconfidence within the context of an experimental asset market. Overall, 72 participants traded one risky asset on six markets of 12 participants each. Our results indicate that participants are not generally prone to overconfidence. A comparison of two different measures of overconfidence, (i) subjective confidence intervals and (ii) differences between objective accuracy and subjective certainty, lead to a different classification of behavior in our data-set. We observe well-calibration as well as over- and underconfidence.

Overconfidence, Behavioral finance, Investment decisions, Experimental economics, Decision making

Abstract:
In this paper we investigate individual overconfidence within the context of an experimental asset market. Overall, 72 participants traded one risky asset on six markets of 12 participants each. Our results indicate that participants are not generally prone to overconfidence. A comparison of two different measures of overconfidence, (i) subjective confidence intervals and (ii) differences between objective accuracy and subjective certainty, lead to a different classification of behavior in our data-set. We observe well-calibration as well as over- and underconfidence.

Overconfidence, Behavioral finance, Investment decisions, Experimental economics, Decision making

Abstract:
An empirically well-established finding is that equity portfolios are concentrated in the domestic equity market of the investor. Previous theoretical and empirical analyses have mainly focused on institutional explanations and largely neglected individual behavior. In this study we report the results of an experiment in which we contrast institutional with behavioral explanations by comparing asymmetric information to social identity. Our results show that social forces, triggered by group affiliation, drive underdiversified and domestically biased portfolio allocations. Moreover, social identity explains the observed behavior equally well as asymmetric information. We also find that individuals are spuriously more optimistic toward the performance of domestic firms.

investment decisions, behavioral finance, experimental economics, international economics, behavioral decision making

Abstract:
This paper investigates (i) the robustness of hindsight bias in experimental asset markets, (ii) the time invariance of the different experimental risk elicitation methods of certainty equivalents and binary lottery choices, and (iii) their correspondence. The results of our within-subjects approach with 133 traders do not support the conjecture that hindsight bias is a general phenomenon. Furthermore, our findings challenge the presumption of time-stable risk preferences and of procedural invariance with respect to different experimental risk elicitation methods.

Hindsight bias, Risk attitude, Financial markets, Experimental economics, Behavioral finance

Abstract:
In this paper we study information revelation on asset markets with endogenous and exogenous information. Our results indicate that superior information can only be exploited in the beginning of trading. Information disseminates on the market and informational advantages are counter-balanced over time. This result holds true for both exogenous and precise endogenous
information. Vague endogenous information, however, has no impact on individual payoff. Furthermore, we find that excessive trading decreases individual earnings.

Financial markets, Insider trading, Long-lived assets, Experimental economics

Abstract:
In this paper we relate individual risk attitude as elicited by binary lotteries and certainty equivalents to market behavior. By analyzing 26 independent markets with a total of 280 participants we show that binary lottery choices and certainty equivalents are poorly correlated. Only lottery choices are related to market behavior: the higher the degree of risk aversion the lower the observed market activity. Females are more risk averse than males according to binary lotteries, submit fewer offers and engage less often in trades.

Individual risk attitude, Gender differences, Binary lottery choices, Certainty equivalents, Experimental economics

Abstract:
The results of an asset market experiment, in which 64 subjects trade two assets on eight markets in a computerized continuous double auction, indicate that (i) objectively irrelevant information influences trading behavior. Moreover, positively and negatively framed information leads to a particular trading pattern. However (ii), a probability variation of the framed information has no influence on trading volume. In addition, the results (iii) confirm the disposition effect. Participants who experience a gain sell their assets more rapidly than participants who experience a loss, and positively framed subjects generally sell their assets later than negatively framed subjects.

Financial markets, Prospect theory, Anchoring and adjustment, Experimental economics, Disposition effect