Self-confidence in financial analysis: a study of younger and older male professional analysts.
Measures of reported self-confidence in performing financial analysis by 59 professional male analysts, 31 born between 1946 and 1964 and 28 born between 1965 and 1976, were investigated and reported. Self-confidence in one's ability is important in the securities industry because it affects recommendations and decisions to buy, sell, and hold securities. The respondents analyzed a set of multiyear corporate financial statements and reported their self-confidence in six separate financial areas. Data from the 59 male financial analysts were tallied and analyzed using both univariate and multivariate statistical tests. Rated self-confidence was not significantly different for the younger and the older men. These results are not consistent with a similar prior study of female analysts in which younger women showed significantly higher self-confidence than older women.
Webster
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Hickingbotham School of Business, Ouachita Baptist University, USA. websterb@obu.edu
Ellis
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D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005375:Financial Audit; D005376:Financial Management; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012737:Sex Factors