Veszteségkerülés

Veszteségkerülés, often translated as loss aversion, is a concept in behavioral economics and psychology that describes people's tendency to prefer avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent gains. This means that the psychological impact of a loss is felt more strongly than the pleasure of an equivalent gain. For example, most people would feel more pain from losing $100 than they would feel joy from finding $100.

This phenomenon was first identified by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman as a key component of their Prospect Theory, which explains how individuals make decisions under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Veszteségkerülés suggests that our decision-making processes are not always rational and can be significantly influenced by emotional responses to potential outcomes.

The implications of veszteségkerülés are widespread. In finance, it can explain why investors may hold onto losing stocks for too long, hoping they will rebound, rather than selling them to cut their losses. In marketing, businesses may frame offers in terms of what customers might lose by *not* taking advantage of them, rather than highlighting the benefits of the offer itself. It also plays a role in everyday decision-making, from choosing insurance policies to deciding whether to take a risk. Understanding veszteségkerülés is crucial for comprehending many human behaviors and for designing more effective strategies in economics, marketing, and policy-making.

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