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What is Representativeness Bias?

Itโ€™s the mental tendency to judge the probability of an event based on how much it resembles past experiences or stereotypes we hold in our minds.ย 

In trading, this translates to:

  • The "Hot Hand" Fallacy: If a stock has been rallying for five days, we assume the sixth will be no different. "Itโ€™s worked so far, so itโ€™ll keep working."
  • The Perfect "Clone": Investing in an unknown company simply because its chart or sector reminds you of a giant that already made it big (e.g., "Itโ€™s the next $NVDA").

โš ๏ธ The Danger of Ignoring Fundamentals

The catch is that the market has no memory of "whatโ€™s supposed to happen" based on your visual patterns.ย When we get carried away by this bias:

  • We ignore current data: We stop checking if the company is overvalued or if interest rates have shifted; we only see the line going "up and to the right."
  • Entering late (FOMO): We buy at the top of the mountain because "it always goes up," right before the cycle flips.
  • Underestimating Mean Reversion: We forget that, sooner or later, prices tend to snap back to their true value.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ How to Break the Spell

To be a savvy investor on eToro, you need to pull apart "resemblance" from "reality":ย 

  • Check the Sample: Is this rally backed by actual earnings, or is it just market noise?
  • Don't Look for Twins: Just because a company looks like Apple doesn't mean it will mirror its success. Every context is unique.
  • Embrace Randomness: A winning streak doesn't guarantee the next trade. Every time you hit that button, the risk starts from scratch.

"The past is a mirror that often distorts the future. Don't trade based on what you think you recognize; trade based on what the data confirms today."

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