Can Backward-looking and Forward-looking Information Debias Prospect Effect in Earnings Announcement?

  • Jogianto Hartono Universitas Gadjah Mada
  • Sri Wahyuni STIE Mahardhika Surabaya
Keywords: backward-looking oriented information, debias, forward-looking oriented information, mitigating bias, predicted earnings, prospect theory, quantitative description

Abstract

This study examines the important issue of whether additional pieces of information about the earnings’ characteristics (their quantitative description and predicted earnings) can debias the prospect effect of the earnings’ announcement. The prospect effect bias can be mitigated by the availability of clear information and an integrated disclosure. Additional information that is included with the previous information will make the investors’ beliefs stronger  and it will debias any psychological effects.This research confirms the prospect effect’s bias that investors react more negatively when evaluating a company’s performance after a negative earnings information disclosure rather than react positively in evaluating the performance for a positive earnings information disclosure. The results also show that when additional pieces of information, such as a quantitative description and predicted earnings are added, they can mitigate the prospect effect’s bias. Additional information of predicted earnings as forward-looking oriented information has a stronger debiasing effect than that of additional information of a quantitative description as backward-looking oriented information.

Author Biographies

Jogianto Hartono, Universitas Gadjah Mada

HARTONO, Jogiyanto is a lecturer at Department of Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada. He earned his Ph.D. from Temple University, United States (1997). His M.B.A. from Western Michigan University, United States (1991), and his Bachelor Degree from Faculty of Economics, Universitas Gadjah Mada (1985). Currently (2016), he is the Doctoral Program Coordinator of Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Contact details: Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; phone +62 274 548510; email: jogiyantohm@ gmail.com.

Sri Wahyuni, STIE Mahardhika Surabaya

WAHYUNI, Sri, is a lecturer at the STIE Mahardhika Surabaya, Indonesia. She earned her Dr. (2015) in Accounting from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and earned her M.Si. (1998) in Accounting from the same university.
Contact detail: STIE Mahardhika Surabaya, Jl. Wisata Menanggal No.42A Surabaya, Indonesia; celullar phone: 081330672266; e-mail: yuni71@yahoo.com.

References

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Published
2017-12-22
How to Cite
Hartono, J., & Wahyuni, S. (2017). Can Backward-looking and Forward-looking Information Debias Prospect Effect in Earnings Announcement?. Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business, 19(3), 227-246. Retrieved from https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/v3/gamaijb/article/view/15593