befinlab

THE ALBO PROJECT

Abstract. The ALBO project seeks to further our knowledge of well being at workplaces and the way it is surveyed and monitored. The empirical part of the research will be carried out in Italy in a number of existing organisations (a small sized municipality, two large sized companies from the pulp & paper and the building sector plus a group of SMEs from agriculture and manufacturing) that have accepted to become project pilot units. Specifically, the research aims to explore the emergence and the dynamics of psychosocial risks among the employees of these organisations, as well as to develop innovative tools for the assessment and management of those risks according to the provisions ... continue

CSR, RATIONALITY AND ETHICAL PREFERENCES OF INVESTORS IN A LABORATORY EXPERIMENT

Abstract. This experimental study aims to clarify to what extent and in which direction investors react to CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives meant to upgrade the ethical standards of firms beyond the minimal requirements of law. Subjects in the laboratory were invited to invest their endowment in a portfolio of financial assets.We provided information on the expected returns of each stock and on its inclusion in an ethical index, or exclusion from it. Our findings show that subjects’ behavior appears to be a function not only of their individual pay-offs but also of the information on the ethical standards ... continue

THE EFFECT OF OVERCONFIDENCE IN PROFESSIONAL FINANCIAL TRADERS

Abstract. The main purpose of the research is to analyze how overconfidence affects information collecting and trading of professional financial traders in a controlled experimental environment. The key project hypothesis is that additional information does not necessarily yield higher returns because financial traders are overconfident. Professional financial traders are overwhelmed with information and extracting relevant information is a long and hard task, while trading decisions require immediate actions. Algorithmic solutions do not manage efficiently this task, because public and ... continue

THE ETHICAL PREFERENCES OF INVESTORS IN LABORATORY

Abstract. This laboratory experiment aims to clarify to what extent and in which direction investors react to new information on the ethical standards of firms. The extensive literature on this issue is divided. The demand of a share is considered as uncorrelated, positively correlated, or negatively correlated with information on ethical excellence according to the theory embraced and/or the evidence examined. The ambiguity of results obtained so far depends in part on the complex motivations underlying financial decisions that cannot be easily disentangled. In this paper we resort to a laboratory experiment ... continue

EYE-TRACKING AND DECISION UNDER UNCERTAINTY

Abstract. The role of the visual system in the functioning of human brain has been the object of investigation for decades. The passages leading from the electrochemical signals transmitted by the retina to the brain for neuronal processing have been exhaustively described by cognitive scientists and neurobiologists. What remains still controversial is how these neurobiological processes are first activated and finally translated in actual decisions. Both the mechanisms underlying gaze direction and orienting behavior and the relations between image processing and decision-making are currently scrutinized by a variety of different ... continue

PERFORMANCE AND CONFIDENCE IN SOCCER BETTING

Abstract. In a database on soccer betting, we observe a poor forecasting performance of late bettors due to inefficient use of information. They tend to be affected by many noisy and redundant cues that, unknown to the early bettors, have dubious relevance for predicting the outcomes of soccer matches. This condition of information overload discards the possibility of using very simple predicting methods such as team rankings or last match result which are also available to early bettors. This explanation supports the hypothesis that early bettors adopt fast and frugal heuristics, which are based on the actual relations between a simple criterion value ... continue

RISK PERCEPTION AND VIRTUAL REALITY

Abstract. This project aims at investigating risk perception in virtual environments. By simulating risks and hazards in high-immersive virtual environments (HIVE), we intend to detect which types of communication convey better information and trigger the appropriate heuristics to perceive risks correctly. We also plan to define a method to enhance the management of risk in low-immersive virtual environments (LIVE). The weaker sense of presence experienced in LIVE enables individuals to adjust the heuristics adopted in real settings, to refine risk perception and to improve skills for managing stressful and traumatic situations. The project intends to provide evidence that virtual reality can be a useful tool to analyze risk misperceptions and to improve mental readiness in choices under risk. ... continue