Professional golfers who display loss aversion may be more tentative putting for birdie than putting for par and thus make a greater proportion of par putts from equal distances?
A) The psychological loss of missing a par putt (worsening your score by one stroke) is greater than the psychological gain of making a birdie putt (improving your score by one stroke).
B) The psychological loss of missing a par putt (worsening your score by one stroke) is less than the psychological gain of making a birdie putt (improving your score by one stroke).
C) The psychological loss of missing a par putt (worsening your score by one stroke) is equivalent to the psychological gain of making a birdie putt (improving your score by one stroke).
D) There is no psychological gain for making birdie putts when golfers are nominally loss averse.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Loss aversion refers to the tendency for people to feel the pain of losses more strongly than the pleasure of equivalent gains. In golf, missing a par putt means losing a stroke and potentially falling behind competitors or failing to improve one's score. Therefore, the psychological loss of missing a par putt is greater than the psychological gain of making a birdie putt. This loss aversion may lead professional golfers to be more tentative when putting for birdie and result in a greater proportion of par putts being made from equal distances.

Professional Golfers Who Display Loss Aversion May Be More Tentative