Basics Beginner: Psychology and Investing

Test your knowledge

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

0%
Keep studying!

Get a certificate for this quiz
Enter your name to generate a certificate that you can save or print immediately. Optionally, add your email address to have a copy of the certificate emailed to you.


Review your answers below to learn more.
1.
Self-handicapping bias occurs when we _______.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Think of excuses before we do something to justify failure just in case it happens. These excuses can sabotage our performance.
2.
What does overconfidence in investing often lead to?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Rapid trading. Overconfident investors trade more rapidly because they think they know more than those on the opposite end of the trade.
3.
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.
4.
When you judge an investment by objective standards rather than your own personal ones, you are practicing what is called "anchoring."
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
False. Anchoring is the other way around, and in some cases it can lead to costly losses.
5.
What is a good way as an investor to avoid falling prey to the framing effect?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Consider the total return of your investments. Seeing your choice in terms of the total return can help you avoid framing it in relative terms, which can be costly.
6.
Confirmation bias is a good investing practice to follow because it usually leads to good decisions.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
False. While it sometimes does, it can also deprive us of choosing other, potentially good opportunities.
7.
What does representativeness lead to?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Giving too much weight to recent performance. Representativeness is a mental shortcut that causes investors to give too much weight to recent evidence--such as short-term performance numbers--and too little weight to evidence from the more distant past. For instance, a look at a companys profit trends over the past six years is likely to yield more insight than looking at that companys stock performance over the past six months.
8.
The sunk costs fallacy refers to _______.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Being unable to ignore the sunk costs of an investment. Being unable to ignore these costs could lead to holding onto the investment well past the time to sell it.
9.
An example of the psychological concept of loss aversion is _______.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Holding onto a poorly performing stock. The fear of loss is so great in some people that they will hold on to stocks that are tanking badly, even when they see no real reason for it.
10.
Mental accounting is a psychological practice that refers to keeping our investments in good condition.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
False. Mental accounting really means putting our money in different buckets for different purposes. Its not always harmful, but sometimes it can inadvertently lead to wasteful spending.