Role of Regret Aversion and Loss Aversion Emotional Biases in Determining Individual Investors’ Trading Frequency: Moderating Effects of Risk Perception

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of risk perception on the relationship among emotional biases (i.e., regret aversion and loss aversion) and the trading frequency of individual investors in the context of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Approach / Methodology: This study is conducted under the philosophical assumptions of the positivist paradigm and the approach is deductive. The convenience sampling technique is used for sample selection of registered individual investors on the database of PSX. This led the study towards designing a cross-sectional study. Furthermore, 384 questionnaires are used for the collection of primary data from a population of 0.22 million registered PSX individual investors. The direction and degree of relationship among variables of concern are analyzed by the multiple linear regression techniques. The structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique is used for authentication of moderation results. Findings: The results depict that regret aversion and loss aversion have statistically significant and negative impacts on individual investors’ trading frequency. Whereas, risk perception has an insignificant & positive impact on individual investors’ trading frequency. Moreover, risk perception is found to moderate the relationship between these two emotional behavioral biases. Originality/Value: This current study is a pioneer in developing links between individual investors’ trading frequency, loss aversion, regret aversion, and risk perception. The article also contributes to the literature of behavioral finance, specifically while understanding the role of emotional biases in investment strategies. So, this article engenders the reader's thoughtfulness to find plausible explanations in minimizing the impact of emotional biases in trading frequency and decision-making of individual investors. Implications: This study implies that emotional biases and risk perception cause and moderate the magnitude of the trading frequency of individual investors. The regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and PSX can launch training programs for individual investors to train them in coping up with such emotional biases and risk perception. This might result in the enhancement of the market capitalization of the stock market.