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What are the most common psychological biases in investing?

December 5, 2022

Cognitive biases can have a significant impact on investment decisions, leading to poor outcomes for investors. Cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking, decision making, and judgment that are caused by the brain’s tendency to simplify information and make assumptions based on past experiences and beliefs. Investment decisions are often based on incomplete or inaccurate information, leading to decisions that are not in the best interest of the investor. The most common cognitive biases that influence investment decisions are:

Anchoring Bias – This bias is when investors become fixated on a single piece of information, such as a price point or the performance of a particular stock, and base all other decisions on that information. This can lead to an investor overvaluing a stock or making decisions that are not in line with the overall market.
Availability Bias – This bias is when investors rely too heavily on recent events or experiences when making decisions. This can lead to investors making decisions based on recency bias or “hot stocks” rather than doing research and evaluating the overall market.
Overconfidence Bias – This bias is when investors overestimate their own investing abilities and knowledge. This can lead to investors taking on more risk than they can handle or making decisions that are not well informed.
Confirmation Bias – This bias is when investors only seek out evidence that confirms their own beliefs or biases. This can lead to investors making decisions based on emotion rather than facts and analysis.

By understanding these cognitive biases and recognizing when they may be influencing their decisions, investors can take steps to ensure that their decisions are based on facts, research, and analysis rather than on emotions or past experiences.

“Be radically open-minded and radically transparent.” – Ray Dalio

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