In theory, investors who have low security selection ability trade more, use leverage more, and perform worse if they are overconfident. We confirm these predictions empirically by analyzing the overconfidence, trading, and performance of retail investors who use margin. Using survey data, we...

In an experimental setting, we study the role of emotions in markets. Our experimental market is modeled on those of Smith, Suchanek, and Williams (1988) and Caginalp, Porter, and Smith (2001). Participants play part in a laboratory market where they can trade a risky asset over a computer...

Experiments typically rely on small payments to incentivize participants. This works if participants view these payments as fungible with their own money, but if participants view the payments as a windfall, they may behave differently in experiments than in real life. We modify standard risky...

We show that the disposition effect-the tendency of investors to hold losers and sell winners-can be a source of overconfidence. We find experimental evidence that individuals update beliefs about their own investment ability based on realized gains and losses rather than the overall performance...