Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions

Abstract Existing studies that directly measure the three types of overconfidence—overprecision, overplacement, and overestimation—are largely exploratory, highlighting the need for further confirmatory research to establish robust overconfidence measures. Moreover, there is no comprehensive instrum...

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Main Authors: Daniel Fonseca Costa, Cláudia Cardoso Soares, Bruno César de Melo Moreira, Adriano Olímpio Tonelli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-01-01
Series:Future Business Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00419-0
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author Daniel Fonseca Costa
Cláudia Cardoso Soares
Bruno César de Melo Moreira
Adriano Olímpio Tonelli
author_facet Daniel Fonseca Costa
Cláudia Cardoso Soares
Bruno César de Melo Moreira
Adriano Olímpio Tonelli
author_sort Daniel Fonseca Costa
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Existing studies that directly measure the three types of overconfidence—overprecision, overplacement, and overestimation—are largely exploratory, highlighting the need for further confirmatory research to establish robust overconfidence measures. Moreover, there is no comprehensive instrument for analyzing these types of overconfidence in the context of investment decisions. To address these gaps, the present study aims to develop and validate a scale for assessing overconfidence in investment decisions, considering its three forms. The research involved 380 Brazilian participants and employed confirmatory factor analysis and standard multivariate validation methods. The scale, based on a theoretical framework of the three types of overconfidence, consisted of 30 questions (10 for each type) designed to measure the degree of overconfidence in investment decision-making. The scale demonstrated acceptable factor loadings and internal and external validity, indicating its suitability for evaluating overconfidence in investment decisions. The standardized factor loadings showed p values < 0.01 for all factors. The average variance extracted was above 0.5, and the composite reliability exceeded 0.7 for all three constructs analyzed. These results support the convergent validity of the proposed measurement model. In this way, the developed scale fills a gap in the literature by providing a valid tool to assess overconfidence in investment decision-making, which can be practically applied by financial market participants, such as investors, fund managers, and financial professionals. This instrument enables more informed and personalized investment decisions, mitigates the risks of bias in decision-making, and contributes to a more efficient and resilient financial market.
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spelling doaj-art-a494642295c34c2193b5ed765bd4a28e2025-01-26T12:35:44ZengSpringerOpenFuture Business Journal2314-72102025-01-0111111510.1186/s43093-024-00419-0Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisionsDaniel Fonseca Costa0Cláudia Cardoso Soares1Bruno César de Melo Moreira2Adriano Olímpio Tonelli3Federal Institute of Minas GeraisFederal Institute of Minas GeraisFederal Institute of Minas GeraisFederal Institute of Minas GeraisAbstract Existing studies that directly measure the three types of overconfidence—overprecision, overplacement, and overestimation—are largely exploratory, highlighting the need for further confirmatory research to establish robust overconfidence measures. Moreover, there is no comprehensive instrument for analyzing these types of overconfidence in the context of investment decisions. To address these gaps, the present study aims to develop and validate a scale for assessing overconfidence in investment decisions, considering its three forms. The research involved 380 Brazilian participants and employed confirmatory factor analysis and standard multivariate validation methods. The scale, based on a theoretical framework of the three types of overconfidence, consisted of 30 questions (10 for each type) designed to measure the degree of overconfidence in investment decision-making. The scale demonstrated acceptable factor loadings and internal and external validity, indicating its suitability for evaluating overconfidence in investment decisions. The standardized factor loadings showed p values < 0.01 for all factors. The average variance extracted was above 0.5, and the composite reliability exceeded 0.7 for all three constructs analyzed. These results support the convergent validity of the proposed measurement model. In this way, the developed scale fills a gap in the literature by providing a valid tool to assess overconfidence in investment decision-making, which can be practically applied by financial market participants, such as investors, fund managers, and financial professionals. This instrument enables more informed and personalized investment decisions, mitigates the risks of bias in decision-making, and contributes to a more efficient and resilient financial market.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00419-0OverconfidenceInvestmentsOverplacementOverprecisionOverestimationBehavioral finance
spellingShingle Daniel Fonseca Costa
Cláudia Cardoso Soares
Bruno César de Melo Moreira
Adriano Olímpio Tonelli
Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions
Future Business Journal
Overconfidence
Investments
Overplacement
Overprecision
Overestimation
Behavioral finance
title Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions
title_full Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions
title_fullStr Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions
title_full_unstemmed Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions
title_short Construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions
title_sort construction and validation of an overconfidence scale in investment decisions
topic Overconfidence
Investments
Overplacement
Overprecision
Overestimation
Behavioral finance
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00419-0
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AT adrianoolimpiotonelli constructionandvalidationofanoverconfidencescaleininvestmentdecisions