An investigation into risk propensity in bull and bear markets

This paper addresses the primary contribution of prospect theory against the landscape of an individual’s self‐attributed risk propensity. Risk propensity is captured using the IPI psychometric questionnaire for a sample of 521 participants. Participants are also presented with probability‐based decisions, that are framed as both negative and positive prospects. Results show that personality constructs, specifically risk‐taking, become a consistent and emerging factor in decision‐making within the positive domain. In the negative domain, personality constructs associated with risk become more muted and are less likely to be a factor in decision‐making.