PERCEPÇÃO DE RISCO E TOMADA DE DECISÃO FINANCEIRA SOB A ÓTICA DA TEORIA DOS PROSPECTOS: UM ESTUDO COM COLABORADORES DE UMA COOPERATIVA DE CRÉDITO

Abstract

This study seeks to understand how employees of a credit union perceive risk and make financial decisions. To achieve this, Prospect Theory, developed by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky (1979), was used as the foundation. The main objective was to understand how these professionals manage their personal finances and how they react in situations involving uncertainty and the possibility of losses. The results showed that most participants have a conservative profile, preferring guaranteed gains and avoiding higher risks, even when riskier alternatives could yield equal or superior returns. This behavior confirms the certainty and isolation effects described by Prospect Theory and is similar to what other studies in behavioral finance have also found. Furthermore, despite having a high level of education and experience in the field, the participants demonstrated being subject to cognitive biases. This point reinforces the importance of training initiatives to broaden the understanding of risk and decision-making.