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Ambiguity Attitudes about Investments: Evidence from the Field

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  • Peijnenburg, Kim
  • Anantanasuwong, Kanin
  • Kouwenberg, Roy
  • Mitchell, Olivia S
Abstract
Using an incentivized survey and a representative sample of investors, we elicit ambiguity attitudes toward a familiar company stock, a local stock index, a foreign stock index, and a crypto currency. We separately estimate ambiguity aversion (ambiguity preferences) and perceived ambiguity levels (perceptions about ambiguity), while controlling for unknown likelihood beliefs. We show that ambiguity aversion is highly correlated across different assets and can be summarized by a single underlying factor. By contrast, individuals’ perceived ambiguity levels differ depending on the type of asset and cannot be summarized by a single underlying factor. Perceived ambiguity is mitigated by financial literacy and education, while the preference component is correlated with risk aversion. Perceived ambiguity proves to be related to actual investment choices, validating our measure. Finally, our results imply that policies enhancing financial literacy and knowledge of financial markets can help stimulate equity market participation and reduce inequality, as these reduce peoples’ perceived levels of ambiguity about financial assets.

Suggested Citation

  • Peijnenburg, Kim & Anantanasuwong, Kanin & Kouwenberg, Roy & Mitchell, Olivia S, 2019. "Ambiguity Attitudes about Investments: Evidence from the Field," CEPR Discussion Papers 13518, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:13518
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    Cited by:

    1. Madhav Chandrasekher & Mira Frick & Ryota Iijima & Yves Le Yaouanq, 2022. "Dual‐Self Representations of Ambiguity Preferences," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 90(3), pages 1029-1061, May.
    2. Luo, Di & Mishra, Tapas & Yarovaya, Larisa & Zhang, Zhuang, 2021. "Investing during a Fintech Revolution: Ambiguity and return risk in cryptocurrencies," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    3. Mira Frick & Ryota Iijima & Yves Le Yaouanq, 2019. "Dispersed Behavior and Perceptions in Assortative Societies," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2180, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    4. Frick, Mira & Iijima, Ryota & Le Yaouanq, Yves, 2019. "Boolean Representations of Preferences under Ambiguity," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 173, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    5. Aljoscha Minnich & Andreas Lange, 2023. "Ambiguity Attitudes of Individuals and Groups in Gain and Loss Domains," CESifo Working Paper Series 10781, CESifo.
    6. Lotito Gianna & Maffioletti Anna & Santoni Michele, 2023. "Testing Source Influence on Ambiguity Reaction: Preference and Insensitivity," Working papers 083, Department of Economics, Social Studies, Applied Mathematics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino.
    7. Sun, Yuzhe & Wang, Yanjie & Zhang, Shunming & Huang, Helen, 2023. "The impact of ambiguity-loving attitude on market participation and asset pricing," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    8. Aljoscha Minnich & Hauke Roggenkamp & Andreas Lange, 2023. "Ambiguity Attitudes and Surprises: Experimental Evidence on Communicating New Information within a Large Population Sample," CESifo Working Paper Series 10783, CESifo.
    9. Petturiti, Davide & Vantaggi, Barbara, 2024. "The impact of ambiguity on dynamic portfolio selection in the epsilon-contaminated binomial market model," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 314(3), pages 1029-1039.
    10. Takao Asano & Yusuke Osaki, 2020. "Portfolio allocation problems between risky and ambiguous assets," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 284(1), pages 63-79, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ambiguity; decision-making under uncertainty; investment; Preferences; Financial literacy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance

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