Men avoid finance risks after emotive news - study
PA MediaEmotional news stories have a strong impact on men's financial decisions, according to new research.
After watching negative news stories, men avoided financial risks even when the decisions were entirely unrelated to the news.
The University of Essex said its study revealed men were far more likely than women to let emotions carry over into risky decisions.
"These results challenge the long-held stereotype that women are more emotional," lead researcher Dr Nikhil Masters said.
In the study, 186 people watched emotional news stories and were than asked to make risky financial decisions with real money.
It showed women's decisions remained unaffected by the emotional tone of news, while men showed a "clear tendency to play it safe".
The university believed the findings could shape advice for high-stakes decisions about money.
University of Essex"We don't make choices in a vacuum and a cooling-off period might be crucial after encountering emotionally charged situations.
"Especially for life-changing financial commitments like buying a home or large investments," added Dr Masters, of the university's department of economics.
The research team, which involved academics from Nottingham and Bournemouth, is due to investigate why only men were affected by these carryover effects.
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