Research Design Connection: Light and Risk Taking
Glimcher and Tymula studied the effects of outdoor light intensity on risk taking behavior over a two-year period. They āfound that increased luminance leads to less risk takingā¦the effects areā¦consistent, significant.ā Some useful definitions: āRisk attitudes refer to peopleās willingness to take known risksā¦āluminanceā is a measurement of the amount of light that falls on the surface of the earth. Cloud cover, humidity, suspended particles in the atmosphere, time of day, time of year and a number of other factors influence luminance.ā The researchersā collection of data indoors was acceptable because the āpsychological effects of higher intensity outdoor luminance are now well-known to persist for hours or even for days.ā The researchers, in their conclusion, ānote that manipulating the indoor luminance levels ā the overhead light intensity ā in markets like the New York Stock Exchange ought to have an effect on market volatility and risk premiums.ā Paul Glimcher …