Abstract
There have been three significant loss-aversion
studies involving professional golfers; all focused exclusively on men. Each
study found significant loss aversion in these real-world settings, in response
to suggestions that loss aversion would disappear if the stakes were high
enough and decision makers had a chance to learn from previous mistakes.
Together, these three studies cast significant doubts on the validity of those
caveats. But they also beg the question: How would results for professional
women golfers compare? The current study focuses on loss aversion in women’s
professional golf in what was the highest-staked competition in Ladies
Professional Golf Association (LPGA) history: the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at
Pebble Beach, California. Results from that within-subject study, reported
herein, show similar levels of loss aversion, and at a highly significant
level. Implications are discussed.
