Basics Beginner: Psychology and Investing

Test your knowledge

Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer to each question.

0%
Keep studying!
Review your answers below to learn more.
1.
If you find yourself habitually buying shares of a company that has treated you well in the past, even when the data suggest it would be unwise, you could be operating under confirmation bias.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
True. Though its not always a bad thing, investing against the reality of the company can sometimes be detrimental.
2.
A disadvantage of "anchoring" behavior in investing is that you might hold onto an investment longer than you should, given the fundamentals of the company behind it.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
True. As an investor, you might stick with an investment in order to wait for a point at which it will be "worth it" to you, which might lead to a loss on it.
3.
What does regret often lead to?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Making a bad sell decision because youve confused a bad outcome with a bad decision. You may feel regret after a bad outcome, such as a stretch of weak performance from a given stock, even if you chose the investment for all the right reasons and the underlying business remains strong. Regret can lead you to make a bad sell decision.
4.
Mental accounting refers to _______.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Keeping our money in different buckets for different purposes. While this practice is often beneficial, it can sometimes lead to wasteful spending depending on how we view those buckets.
5.
Self-handicapping bias occurs when we try to explain any possible future poor performance with a reason that may or may not be true.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
True. In other words, its like making excuses beforehand.
6.
Which of the following examples illustrates selective memory?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Remembering only the successes. Selective memory, as a rule, selects those memories that we want to preserve.
7.
In the world of investing, what does overconfidence refer to?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
The ability to think that one is smarter than one really is. Overconfidence stretches normal confidence to unhealthy levels.
8.
Investors who exhibit "herding" behavior tend to think that other investors have more information than they do.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
True. Herding refers to investing along with the crowd. This usually entails believing that others have information that you dont.
9.
In investing, sunk costs refer to costs that have already been incurred.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
True. If the costs of an investment are high, we might become reluctant to dump it due to how much we have put into it.
10.
The framing effect can lead you to treat buying decisions in relative terms.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
True. This effect can affect the choices you make when you buy investments.