On 19 March 2024 from 15.00 to 16.00 hours, the next ODISSEI Lecture will take place. Luca Henkel will present his work on Linking LISS panel survey data and administrative data to understand households’ stock market participation. Click here for the registration.

Abstract

The decision to invest in the stock market is an important element of households’ financial decision-making, yet many households avoid investing. The lecture will introduce a key factor influencing investment decisions: how people view stockholders. Survey evidence from approximately 8,500 participants across eleven countries shows that a large majority of respondents view stockholders negatively on identity-relevant characteristics – they are perceived as greedy, gambler-like, and selfish individuals. Linking survey data obtained through the LISS panel with administrative data of Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reveals that these negative perceptions strongly predict households’ stock market participation with a magnitude comparable to leading alternative determinants. The talk will then discuss experimental evidence suggesting a causal relationship: if people’s views about stockholders become more positive, they become more likely to choose stock-related investments. In addition, the talk will discuss the stereotypical origins of people’s views of stockholders.

About the speaker

Luca Henkel is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Chicago and the University of CEMA as part of the Joint Initiative for Latin American Experimental Economics. In his research, Luca focuses on behavioral economics and household finance. In particular, he examines determinants and consequences of financial and moral decision-making using experiments, surveys, and linked survey-administrative data.

The ODISSEI Lectures highlight methodological issues and innovations in Social Science.

Photo by Yiorgos Ntrahas on Unsplash