19.7k views
2 votes
A cognitive error is best indicated by which of the following?

A) A client who is the chief executive officer of a now public company that she founded and insists she will not diversify her holding of the company stock.
B) The spouse of a now deceased company founder who becomes upset when it is recommended the portfolio holdings in that company need to be diversified.
C) A client who initially resists recommendations to diversify the portfolio but then thanks the manager for explaining the benefits of diversification.

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The best indication of a cognitive error among the options is a CEO who refuses to diversify her holdings due to an emotional attachment or an overestimation of the company's value, known as the endowment effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

A client who is the chief executive officer of a now public company that she founded and insists she will not diversify her holding of the company stock. This response reflects a cognitive bias known as the endowment effect, where individuals ascribe higher value to assets they own, often irrationally avoiding diversification due to an emotional attachment or an overestimation of the asset's value.

The concept of diversification is crucial in financial investing to minimize risk. It's likened to the adage: "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." Diversifying a portfolio by investing in a variety of stocks or bonds from a range of companies allows for the mitigation of potential losses, as the performance of different investments tends to balance each other out.

Option B) may involve emotions related to grief and loss, which are not necessarily cognitive errors in financial judgement. Option C) shows a positive change in behaviour upon understanding the benefits of diversification, indicating learning rather than a cognitive error.

User Selethen
by
7.4k points