Money and emotions

Formal economic theories of financial behaviour and prescriptive models of decision-making have little to say about the role of emotions. However, to even the most casual observer of economic life, markets are awash with emotions and emotions colour our daily decision-making.

In these video highlights from the 5th July 2012 Breakfast Briefing, Mark Fenton-O'Creevy, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, draws on findings from a three year study of traders’ and investors’ decision-making, and on a large survey conducted with the BBC of consumers’ emotional relationships with money. He considers not just the ways in which poor emotion management can lead to bad decisions for financiers, managers and members of the public, but also looks at the positive role emotions can play in effective decision-making.

Part 1: Emotions and the brain

Part 2: Managing emotions

Part 3: The research findings

Links

The Breakfast Briefings are a series of face-to-face events, as part of The Open University Business Network. These events aim to foster collaboration and create an opportunity to explore together the latest and best of business thinking. We understand business and want to help your business flourish by sharing our insights into leadership and management at this series of collaborative events.

Upcoming Events

Mar 10

Doing Academia Differently: Professional Development Symposium for Doctoral Students and Early-Career Academics

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 09:00 to 17:00

Michael Young Building, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BB

This one-day symposium on ‘Doing Academia Differently’ will provide inspiration and support for PhD and early-career academics to approach the complex tensions and dilemmas of contemporary academia in new and creative ways.

Mar 12

International Women’s Day: Supporting diverse new motherhoods for work inclusion

Thursday, March 12, 2026 - 11:00 to 12:30

Online Webinar - link below

This webinar from our GOP research cluster will discuss findings from research into how motherhood impacts employment for ethnic minority women.