FINS5555 Behavioural Approaches in Finance - 2018

Subject Code
FINS5555
Study Level
Postgraduate
Commencing Term
Semester 1
Total Units of Credit (UOC)
6
Delivery Mode
On Campus
School
Banking & Finance

1. Course Details

Summary of Course

To prospective students: Please note the course is taught by different lecturers and it is completely different from Semester 1 to Semester 2. Therefore, if you're potentially interested in taking the course, please contact the lecturer in charge f.massari@unsw.edu.au or elise@elisepayzan.com for further details on assessment for upcoming semesters.

In this course, we will examine how people make predictable and repeatable mistakes in financial decision-making. We will describe the nature of these mistakes and their origin, using insights from psychology, neurosciences, and experimental economics, on how the human mind works.

Special attention will be devote to the problem of learning in both simple and complex environments.

Before each lecture, you are expected to familiarise yourself with the material corresponding to the lecture. This material is available on Moodle, in advance of the class itself.

Teaching Times and Locations

Please note that teaching times and locations are subject to change. Students are strongly advised to refer to the Class Timetable website for the most up-to-date teaching times and locations.

View course timetable

Course Policies & Support

Course Aims and Relationship to Other Courses

This course is an elective course in finance. It introduces cognitive biases and discusses the impact of these on financial decision-making as introduced in other courses. As such, this course is intended to complement other finance courses. In particular, FINS1613 Business Finance is a prerequisite for this course.

2. Staff Contact Details

Position Title Name Email Location Phone Consultation Times
Lecturer-in-chargeDrRoom 333C, Business School building +61 2 9385 4273Tue 10:00-12:00

How to ask questions about the course, and/or discuss private matters

At the end of each lecture: please feel free to come and chat with me at the end of each course.

In the discussion forums in Moodle: if you have questions regarding the course, you should always ask them first in the discussion forums in Moodle. This way, every student will benefit from both the question and its answer, and the amount of information available to everyone will be greatly improved. I will personally reply to questions at least once every 24h during the week, as well as at least once during the weekends. Each student is also strongly encouraged to reply to others’ questions and discuss any replies made.

During office hours: office hours will be held each Tuesday from 10am to 12am. If you plan to come, send me an email first to schedule an appointment, not later than the day before. This way, each student will benefit from one-to-one time without waiting in front of the office. Office hours should be used only if you need to discuss either 1) private matters or personal requests that require a face-to-face discussion 2) course-related questions that you feel have not been adequately replied to through the discussion forums.

By email: please feel free to contact me by email at any time with any question that cannot be posted in the discussion forums (such as private requests or personal matters).

3. Learning and Teaching Activities

Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Course

​The goal is to ensure that this course will be relevant and meaningful to you in class and after you graduate. To help achieve this objective I have a number of teaching aims:

  • Create a climate of commitment, responsibility and ongoing feedback between students and lecturer regarding the content, teaching strategies, learning experiences and outcomes.
  • Cater for a variety of learning preferences and abilities by providing a wide range of learning activities, formats and methodological approaches: I will punctuate my lectures with discussions, will use lecture notes, papers, and movies to communicate the material of the lectures. Also, the approach of the course will be both theoretical and experimental.
  • Develop independent learning skills, and create an environment that provides structure and guidance, while encouraging students to extend their learning. For example, one required reading will be clearly specified each week on the reading list. Alongside this required reading, students will have the opportunity to flesh out the topics discussed during the lecture, through supplemental readings indicated in the reading list.
  • Develop skills in collaboration and teamwork, which is directly relevant to the skills required of a finance professional.

This course is thus designed both for students aiming to pursue research in finance, and for students planning to join the industry after graduation.

Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies

High levels of interaction and preparation are required for this class and are intended to provide the necessary foundation for success in the workplace. Writing and communication skills are essential; so are organizational skills and a strong sense of responsibility.

5. Course Resources

Moodle course website

The course website on Moodle is the resources hub. All materials will be posted there and the discussion forums will be accessible on Moodle as well. Chat sessions will also be organised through Moodle on an as-needed basis.

Students have to acquaint themselves with the material posted on Moodle to prepare each lecture. In particular, they should systematically consult in the section LECTURES the subsection that corresponds to each week’s lecture: Lecture 1, Lecture 2, …, Lecture 12.

Lecture notes

One of the liberating features of the behavioural finance field is that there is not yet any full-blown textbook. In the absence of a suitable textbook, we will use my lecture notes.

Given the interactive nature of the course, the lecture notes for a class won’t be posted ahead of a class but the evening following the class. I know that not having lecture notes to study before the class is intimidating for some of you, but you should not worry about this point: you will have the mandatory article to read before each lecture, which is a good way to prepare the lecture. Also, before each lecture, it is important that you read the lecture notes of the previous lecture.

Please note: The lecture notes are quite rich and should be studied each week after the class to prepare the mid-term and final exams effectively. When reviewing the lecture notes after a class, ask on the Forum any clarifying questions that you may have.

Reading list

We will also be reading straight from the original research papers indicated on the reading list (which you will find on the Moodle website for the course). I will discuss the content of most of the articles of the reading list in class. This reading list may seem intimidating at first glance, but note that there is only one reading that is mandatory before each course. The rest consists of supplemental readings, i.e., readings that are optional. Some of these supplementary readings are starred: I suggest that you at least read the abstract. So much of a paper is in the abstract (if the abstract is well written).

Non-starred readings are for those possibly interested in doing research in behavioural finance at some point. When reading a paper on your own, try to take away the key intuitions, don’t dwell on details.

The mandatory articles will be available on Moodle in a PDF format. The supplementary articles are available for download through the UNSW network by using the direct link provided (please ask me if you have any difficulty to access an article you would like to read).

Other Resources

In some of the lectures, I will use documentary movies, which I will post on Moodle (in Multimedia).

6. Course Evaluation & Development

Each year feedback is sought from students about the courses offered in the School and continual improvements are made based on this feedback. I am looking forward to your feedback, and a discussion forum will be specifically dedicated to receiving your feedback on the course. This way, you will be able to provide feedback continuously throughout the semester.

7. Course Schedule

Week 1: 26 Feb
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Introduction

[What’s Behavioural Finance?]

Week 2: 05 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Intro to Probability

[Review of probability theory]

Week 3: 12 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Individual behaviour: Decision theory [The mathematic of gambling/ Decision theory and paradoxes]

Assessment/Other

HK due

Week 4: 19 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Individual behaviour: Prospect Theory

[Prospect theory]

Assessment/Other

HK due

Week 5: 26 Mar
Activity

Lecture

Topic

Individual behaviour: cognitive biases

Mid Semester Break: 02 Apr
Activity

Lecture+ review

Topic

Individual behaviour: cognitive biases

Week 6: 09 Apr
Activity

mid-term exam

Topic

Mid-Term + topic assignment

Week 7: 16 Apr
Activity

Lecture+group presentation

Topic

Aggregate behaviour: Market’s anomalies

Week 8: 23 Apr
Activity

Lecture+group presentation

Topic

Aggregate behaviour: Market’s anomalies

Week 9: 30 Apr
Activity

Lecture+group presentation

Topic

Aggregate behaviour: Market’s anomalies

Week 10: 07 May
Activity

Lecture+group presentation

Topic

Aggregate behaviour: Market’s anomalies

Week 11: 14 May
Activity

Lecture+group presentation

Topic

Aggregate behaviour: Market’s anomalies

Week 12: 21 May
Activity

Lecture+group presentation

Topic

Aggregate behaviour: Market’s anomalies

Week 13: 28 May
Activity

Oral-exam

8. Policies

Information about UNSW Business School protocols, University policies, student responsibilities and education quality and support.

Program Learning Goals and Outcomes

The Business School Program Learning Goals reflect what we want all students to BE or HAVE by the time they successfully complete their degree, regardless of their individual majors or specialisations. For example, we want all our graduates to HAVE a high level of business knowledge and a sound awareness of ethical, social, cultural and environmental implications of business. As well, we want all our graduates to BE effective problem-solvers, communicators and team participants.

You can demonstrate your achievement of these goals by the specific outcomes you achieve by the end of your degree (i.e. Program Learning Outcomes—henceforth PLOs). These PLOs articulate what you need to know and be able to do as a result of engaging in learning. They embody the knowledge, skills and capabilities that are identified, mapped, taught, practised and assessed within each Business School program.

All UNSW programs and courses are designed to assess the attainment of program and/or course level learning outcomes, as outlined in the UNSW Assessment Design Procedure. It is therefore important that you become familiar with the Business School PLOs, as they constitute the framework which informs and shapes the course components and assessments of the courses within your program of study.

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Undergraduate
  • Postgraduate Coursework
Knowledge You should be able to identify and apply disciplinary knowledge to business situations in a local and global environment.
Critical thinking and problem solving You should be able to identify and research issues in business situations, analyse the issues, and propose appropriate and well-justified solutions.
Written communication You should be able to prepare written documents that are clear, concise and coherent, using appropriate style and presentation for the intended audience, purpose and context.
Oral communication You should be able to prepare and deliver oral presentations that are clear, focussed, well-structured, and delivered in a professional manner.
Teamwork You should be able to participate collaboratively and responsibly in teams, and reflect on your own teamwork, and on the team’s processes and ability to achieve outcomes.
Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  1. You should be able to identify and assess ethical, environmental and/or sustainability considerations in business decision-making and practice.
  2. You should be able to identify social and cultural implications of business.
Workplace skills (Co-op programs only) You should be able to conduct yourself in a professional manner in the work environment, communicate effectively in diverse workplace situations and be able to apply discipline knowledge and understanding to real business problems with initiative and self-direction.
Related PLO Documents View the Undergraduate Honours PLOs (pdf)
Knowledge You should be able to identify and apply current knowledge of disciplinary or interdisciplinary theory and professional practice to business in local and global environments.
Critical thinking and problem solving You should be able to identify, research and analyse complex issues and problems in business and/or management, and propose appropriate and well-justified solutions.
Written communication You should be able to produce written documents that communicate complex disciplinary ideas and information effectively for the intended audience and purpose.
Oral communication You should be able to produce oral presentations that communicate complex disciplinary ideas and information effectively for the intended audience and purpose.
Teamwork You should be able to participate collaboratively and responsibly in teams, and reflect on your own teamwork, and on the team’s processes and ability to achieve outcomes.
Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  1. You should be able to identify and assess ethical, environmental and/or sustainability considerations in business decision-making and practice.
  2. You should be able to identify social and cultural implications of business.
Related PLO Documents View the Master of Philosophy PLOs (pdf)
View the Doctor of Philosophy PLOs (pdf)

UNSW Graduate Capabilities

The Business School PLOs also incorporate UNSW graduate capabilities, a set of generic abilities and skills that all students are expected to achieve by graduation. These capabilities articulate the University’s institutional values, as well as future employer expectations.

UNSW Graduate CapabilitiesBusiness School PLOs
Scholars capable of independent and collaborative enquiry, rigorous in their analysis, critique and reflection, and able to innovate by applying their knowledge and skills to the solution of novel as well as routine problems.
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Knowledge
  • Oral communication
  • Research capability
  • Teamwork
  • Workplace skills
  • Written communication
Entrepreneurial leaders capable of initiating and embracing innovation and change, as well as engaging and enabling others to contribute to change
  • Critical thinking and problem solving
  • Knowledge
  • Oral communication
  • Workplace skills
  • Written communication
Professionals capable of ethical, self- directed practice and independent lifelong learning
  • Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  • Workplace skills
Global citizens who are culturally adept and capable of respecting diversity and acting in a socially just and responsible way.
  • Ethical, social and environmental responsibility
  • Oral communication
  • Written communication

The Business School strongly advises you to choose a range of courses that assist your development against these PLOs and graduate capabilities, and to keep a record of your achievements as part of your portfolio. You could use these records for work or further study. For support with selecting your courses contact the UNSW Business School Student Centre.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

Academic Integrity is honest and responsible scholarship. This form of ethical scholarship is highly valued at UNSW. Terms like Academic Integrity, misconduct, referencing, conventions, plagiarism, academic practices, citations and evidence based learning are all considered basic concepts that successful university students understand. Learning how to communicate original ideas, refer sources, work independently, and report results accurately and honestly are skills that you will be able to carry beyond your studies.

The definition of academic misconduct is broad. It covers practices such as cheating, copying and using another person’s work without appropriate acknowledgement. Incidents of academic misconduct may have serious consequences for students.

Plagiarism

UNSW regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct. UNSW has very strict rules regarding plagiarism. Plagiarism at UNSW is using the words or ideas of others and passing them off as your own. All Schools in the Business School have a Student Ethics Officer who will investigate incidents of plagiarism and may result in a student’s name being placed on the Plagiarism and Student Misconduct Registers.

Below are examples of plagiarism including self-plagiarism:

Copying: Using the same or very similar words to the original text or idea without acknowledging the source or using quotation marks. This includes copying materials, ideas or concepts from a book, article, report or other written document, presentation, composition, artwork, design, drawing, circuitry, computer program or software, website, internet, other electronic resource, or another person's assignment, without appropriate acknowledgement of authorship.

Inappropriate Paraphrasing: Changing a few words and phrases while mostly retaining the original structure and/or progression of ideas of the original, and information without acknowledgement. This also applies in presentations where someone paraphrases another’s ideas or words without credit and to piecing together quotes and paraphrases into a new whole, without appropriate referencing.

Collusion: Presenting work as independent work when it has been produced in whole or part in collusion with other people. Collusion includes:

  • Students providing their work to another student before the due date, or for the purpose of them plagiarising at any time
  • Paying another person to perform an academic task and passing it off as your own
  • Stealing or acquiring another person’s academic work and copying it
  • Offering to complete another person’s work or seeking payment for completing academic work

Collusion should not be confused with academic collaboration (i.e., shared contribution towards a group task).

Inappropriate Citation: Citing sources which have not been read, without acknowledging the 'secondary' source from which knowledge of them has been obtained.

Self-Plagiarism: ‘Self-plagiarism’ occurs where an author republishes their own previously written work and presents it as new findings without referencing the earlier work, either in its entirety or partially. Self-plagiarism is also referred to as 'recycling', 'duplication', or 'multiple submissions of research findings' without disclosure. In the student context, self-plagiarism includes re-using parts of, or all of, a body of work that has already been submitted for assessment without proper citation.

To see if you understand plagiarism, do this short quiz: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism-quiz

Cheating

The University also regards cheating as a form of academic misconduct. Cheating is knowingly submitting the work of others as their own and includes contract cheating (work produced by an external agent or third party that is submitted under the pretences of being a student’s original piece of work). Cheating is not acceptable at UNSW.

If you need to revise or clarify any terms associated with academic integrity you should explore the 'Working with Academic Integrity' self-paced lessons available at: https://student.unsw.edu.au/aim.

For UNSW policies, penalties, and information to help you avoid plagiarism see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism as well as the guidelines in the online ELISE tutorials for all new UNSW students: http://subjectguides.library.unsw.edu.au/elise. For information on student conduct see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/conduct.

For information on how to acknowledge your sources and reference correctly, see: https://student.unsw.edu.au/referencing. If you are unsure what referencing style to use in this course, you should ask the lecturer in charge.

Student Responsibilities and Conduct

Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to university policies in relation to class attendance and general conduct and behaviour, including maintaining a safe, respectful environment; and to understand their obligations in relation to workload, assessment and keeping informed.

Information and policies on these topics can be found on the 'Managing your Program' website

Workload

It is expected that you will spend at least nine to ten hours per week studying for a course except for Summer Term courses which have a minimum weekly workload of eighteen to twenty hours. This time should be made up of reading, research, working on exercises and problems, online activities and attending classes. In periods where you need to complete assignments or prepare for examinations, the workload may be greater. Over-commitment has been a cause of failure for many students. You should take the required workload into account when planning how to balance study with employment and other activities.

We strongly encourage you to connect with your Moodle course websites in the first week of semester. Local and international research indicates that students who engage early and often with their course website are more likely to pass their course.

View more information on expected workload

Attendance

Your regular and punctual attendance at lectures and seminars or in online learning activities is expected in this course. The Business School reserves the right to refuse final assessment to those students who attend less than 80% of scheduled classes where attendance and participation is required as part of the learning process (e.g., tutorials, flipped classroom sessions, seminars, labs, etc.).

View more information on attendance

General Conduct and Behaviour

You are expected to conduct yourself with consideration and respect for the needs of your fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct which unduly disrupts or interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones, is not acceptable and students may be asked to leave the class.

View more information on student conduct

Health and Safety

UNSW Policy requires each person to work safely and responsibly, in order to avoid personal injury and to protect the safety of others.

View more information on Health and Safety

Keeping Informed

You should take note of all announcements made in lectures, tutorials or on the course web site. From time to time, the University will send important announcements to your university e-mail address without providing you with a paper copy. You will be deemed to have received this information. It is also your responsibility to keep the University informed of all changes to your contact details.

Special Consideration

You must submit all assignments and attend all examinations scheduled for your course. You can apply for special consideration when illness or other circumstances beyond your control, interfere with your performance in a specific assessment task or tasks. Special Consideration is primarily intended to provide you with an extra opportunity to demonstrate the level of performance of which you are capable.

General information on special consideration for undergraduate and postgraduate courses can be found in the Assessment Implementation Procedure and the Current Students page.

Please note the following:

  1. Applications will not be accepted by teaching staff. The lecturer-in-charge will be automatically notified when you lodge an online application for special consideration
  2. Decisions and recommendations are only made by lecturers-in-charge (or by the Faculty Panel in the case of final exam special considerations), not by tutors
  3. Applying for special consideration does not automatically mean that you will be granted a supplementary exam or other concession
  4. Special consideration requests do not allow lecturers-in-charge to award students additional marks

Business School Protocol on requests for Special Consideration

The lecturer-in-charge will need to be satisfied on each of the following before supporting a request for special consideration:

  1. Does the medical certificate contain all relevant information? For a medical certificate to be accepted, the degree of illness and its impact on the student must be stated by the medical practitioner (severe, moderate, mild). A certificate without this will not be valid. Students should also note that only medical certificates issued after physically visiting a registered medical practitioner will be accepted. Medical certificates submitted for Special Consideration should always be requested from a registered medical practitioner that you have seen at a medical practice. Certificates obtained online or via social media may be fraudulent and if relied upon could result in a breach of the UNSW Student Code.
  2. Has the student performed satisfactorily in the other assessment items? To understand what Satisfactory Performance means in this course, please refer to the 'Formal Requirements' section in Part A of your Course Outline

Special Consideration and the Final Exam in undergraduate and postgraduate courses

Applications for special consideration in relation to the final exam are considered by a Business School Faculty panel to which lecturers-in-charge provide their recommendations for each request. If the Faculty panel grants a special consideration request, this will entitle the student to sit a supplementary examination. No other form of consideration will be granted. The following procedures will apply:

  1. Supplementary exams will be scheduled centrally and will be held approximately two weeks after the formal examination period.

    Supplementary exams for Semester 1, 2018 will be held during the period 14 - 21 July, 2018. Students wishing to sit a supplementary exam will need to be available during this period.

    The date for all Business School supplementary exams for Summer Term 2017/2018 is Wednesday, 21 February, 2018. If a student lodges a special consideration for the final exam, they are stating they will be available on this date. Supplementary exams will not be held at any other time.

  2. Where a student is granted a supplementary examination as a result of a request for special consideration, the student’s original exam (if completed) will be ignored and only the mark achieved in the supplementary examination will count towards the final grade. Absence from a supplementary exam without prior notification does not entitle the student to have the original exam paper marked, and may result in a zero mark for the final exam.

The Supplementary Exam Protocol for Business School students is available at: http://www.business.unsw.edu.au/suppexamprotocol

For special consideration for assessments other than the final exam refer to the ‘Assessment Section’ in your course outline.

Protocol for Viewing Final Exam Scripts

The UNSW Business School has set a protocol under which students may view their final exam script. Please check the protocol here.

Given individual schools within the Faculty may set up a local process for viewing final exam scripts, it is important that you check with your School whether they have any additional information on this process. Please note that this information might also be included in your course outline.


Student Support and Resources

The University and the Business School provide a wide range of support services and resources for students, including:

Business School EQS Consultation Program
The Consultation Program offers academic writing, literacy and numeracy consultations, study skills, exam preparation for Business students. Services include workshops, online resources, individual and group consultations.
Level 1, Room 1035, Quadrangle Building.
BUS.EQS.Consultations@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4508

Business School Student Centre
The Business School Student Centre provides advice and direction on all aspects of admission, enrolment and graduation.
Level 1, Room 1028 in the Quadrangle Building
02 9385 3189

UNSW Learning Centre
The UNSW Learning Centre provides academic skills support services, including workshops and resources, for all UNSW students. See their website for details.
Lower Ground Floor, North Wing Chancellery Building.
learningcentre@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 2060

Educational Support Service
Educational Support Advisors work with all students to promote the development of skills needed to succeed at university, whilst also providing personal support throughout the process. Check their website to request an appointment or to register in the Academic Success Program.
John Goodsell Building, Ground Floor.
advisors@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

Library services and facilities for students
The UNSW Library offers a range of collections, services and facilities both on-campus and online.
Main Library, F21.
02 9385 2650

Moodle eLearning Support
Moodle is the University’s learning management system. You should ensure that you log into Moodle regularly.
externalteltsupport@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 3331

UNSW IT
UNSW IT provides support and services for students such as password access, email services, wireless services and technical support.
UNSW Library Annexe (Ground floor).
itservicecentre@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 1333

Disability Support Services
UNSW Disability Support Services provides assistance to students who are trying to manage the demands of university as well as a health condition, learning disability or who have personal circumstances that are having an impact on their studies. Disability Advisers can arrange to put in place services and educational adjustments to make things more manageable so that students are able to complete their course requirements. To receive educational adjustments for disability support, students must first register with Disability Services.
Ground Floor, John Goodsell Building.
disabilities@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 4734

UNSW Counselling and Psychological Services
Provides support and services if you need help with your personal life, getting your academic life back on track or just want to know how to stay safe, including free, confidential counselling.
Level 2, East Wing, Quadrangle Building.
counselling@unsw.edu.au
02 9385 5418


FINS5555-2018-S1