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Why does losing $1,000 hurt more than gaining $1,000 feels good? Why do we play it safe when we're winning but become willing to gamble when we're losing? And why do perfectly intelligent people make financial decisions that seem to defy logic?

In this episode of the Dr. Bryan Foltice Behavioral Finance Podcast, we explore the second of the Five Forces of Behavioral Finance: Emotion Beats Logic.

At the heart of this episode is Prospect Theory, the groundbreaking research of psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky that fundamentally changed how we understand decision-making under risk.

We'll explore how our brains evaluate gains and losses, why reference points matter, and how our attitudes toward risk change depending on the situation.

Through real-world financial examples and interactive decisions, we'll examine:

• Loss Aversion: Why losing money often hurts more than gaining the same amount feels good.
• Reference Dependence: How purchase prices, expectations, and previous financial highs influence our decisions.
• Diminishing Sensitivity: Why the psychological impact of money changes as the amounts get larger.
• The Fourfold Pattern of Risk: Why we sometimes avoid risk and other times actively seek it—even when the mathematical outcomes are equivalent.
• Regret Aversion, Fear, and the Affect Heuristic: How emotions influence investing, spending, and financial decisions.

We'll also connect these psychological forces to the Knowing–Doing Gap—the disconnect between what we know we should do with our money and what we actually do.

Because making better financial decisions isn't always about knowing more. Sometimes it's about understanding why we make the decisions we do.

Money Strong: From Knowing to Doing.

#BehavioralFinance #ProspectTheory #PsychologyOfMoney #LossAversion #FinancialDecisions #MoneyStrong #InvestingPsychology

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Present Beats Future: Understanding Present Bias, Hyperbolic Discounting, and the Knowing-Doing Gap

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Foltice reflects on turning 46 and uses that perspective to explore present bias (“present beats future”) as a key driver of the knowing-doing gap in personal finance and daily habits.

He explains evolutionary roots that favored immediate consumption, then illustrates inconsistent preferences through choice examples ($100 today vs. later, and $100 today vs. $110 next month) and contrasts them with delayed future choices.

The episode outlines two sides of present bias—seeking immediate gratification (e.g., the marshmallow experiment and a “DoorDash booty call” impulse) and avoiding immediate discomfort (delaying saving, exercise, healthier eating)—and introduces hyperbolic discounting as an intensified form linked to addiction.

He describes five ways present bias wins: immediate gratification, procrastination, scarcity, inertia, and feeling disconnected from one’s future self, citing Hershfield et al. (2011) on age-progressed renderings increasing retirement saving. He closes by advocating awareness, balance, and self-compassion, previewing next week’s topic on emotions overriding logic.

00:00 Podcast Welcome
00:24 Birthday Reflection Setup
01:55 Why Present Wins
04:18 Present Bias Explained
06:47 Two Sides of Bias
10:40 Hyperbolic Discounting
12:08 Five Ways It Shows
15:53 Future Self Connection
18:14 Research and Nordstrom Story
21:15 Finding Balance and Wrap
23:52 Outro and Subscribe

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Subscribe to our Behavioral Finance Newsletter: https://www.moneystrong.net/behavioral-newsletter

Bryan Foltice Personal Website - www.bryanfoltice.com
Money Strong Website - www.moneystrong.net

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Why do we put off saving, follow investment hype, or spend money we planned to keep—even when we know better? Understanding what to do with your money and actually doing it are two different things.

In this episode, Dr. Bryan Foltice explores the knowing–doing gap through five forces that shape our financial decisions: Present Beats Future, Emotion Beats Logic, Perception Beats Reality, Social Influence Beats Independent Thinking, and The Path Influences the Choice.

From procrastination and loss aversion to overconfidence, social comparison, and mental accounting, Bryan connects behavioral finance concepts to familiar money decisions. Why do we hold on to losing investments? Why does a bonus feel different from a paycheck? And how can a free consultation leave us feeling obligated to buy?

These examples reveal how several forces can influence the same decision—and why more financial information may address only part of the problem. This episode introduces a framework for recognizing what gets between your financial intentions and your actions, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of each force.

Support the show

Subscribe to our Behavioral Finance Newsletter: https://www.moneystrong.net/behavioral-newsletter

Bryan Foltice Personal Website - www.bryanfoltice.com
Money Strong Website - www.moneystrong.net

Instagram - www.instagram.com/dr.bryanfoltice
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanfoltice

Disclaimer: www.bryanfoltice.com/cv