INTRODUCTIONBehavioral finance is a relatively new but quickly expanding field that seeks toprovide explanations for people’s economic decisions by combining behavioral andcognitive psychological theory with conventional economics and finance. Fuelingthe growth of behavioral finance research has been the inability of the traditionalexpected utility maximization of rational investors within the efficient marketsframework to explain many empirical patterns. Behavioral finance attempts toresolve these inconsistencies through explanations based on human behavior, bothindividually and in groups. For example, behavioral finance helps explain whyand how markets might be inefficient. After initial resistance from traditionalists,behavioral finance is increasingly becoming part of mainstream finance.An underlying assumption of behavioral finance is that the information structure and the characteristics of market participants systematically influence individuals’ investment decisions as well as market outcomes. The thinking process doesnot work like a computer. Instead, the human brain often processes informationusing shortcuts and emotional filters. These processes influence financial decisionmakers such that people often act in a seemingly irrational manner, routinely violate traditional concepts of risk aversion, and make predictable errors in theirforecasts. These problems are pervasive in investor decisions, financial markets,and corporate managerial behavior. The impact of these suboptimal financial decisions has ramifications for the efficiency of capital markets, personal wealth, andthe performance of corporations.The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive view of the psychological foundations and their applications to finance as determined by the currentstate of behavioral financial research. The book is unique in that it surveys allfacets of the literature and thus offers unprecedented breadth and depth. The targeted audience includes academics, practitioners, regulators, students, and others
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