Women feel more pessimistic than men: Empirical evidence from Turkish consumer confidence index

Abstract

The leading role that is attributable to economic indicators like consumer confidence has been well documented in the literature for many developed nations. Moreover, the relationship between high frequency financial market data has been a common research topic for world economies. However, there is hardly any study that attempts to search for the possible functional relationship between consumer confidence and financial market variables. This paper is a simple attempt to link these two brands of literature by focusing on the relationship between financial market variables and consumer confidence index before the global crisis has started. We have two distinctive points. First, we derive separate consumer confidence indices for men and women by employing micro‐level consumer confidence data from an emerging market (Turkish CNBC‐e consumer confidence index) for the period of January 2003 ‐ January 2008. Second, employing this data set, we do not only check for the existence of a relationship between consumer confidence and financial market variables (such as interest rates, exchange rates and stock exchange index) but also focus on the possibility of gender response. We find evidence of gender response difference as throughout the period women are more pessimistic than men‐due probably to lower levels of wealth‐and respond less to changes in exchange rates than men‐due probably to lower purchasing power.

Santrauka

Ekonominiu rodikliu kaip pirkejo pasitikejimo vaidmens svarba yra išsamiai pagrista daugelio išsivys‐čiusiu šaliu literatūroje. Be to, ryšys tarp aukšto finansu. rinkos svyravimo duomenu yra dažna tyrimu tema daugelyje pasaulio šaliu. Tačiau vargu ar galima būtu rasti tyrimu, kuriuose būtu bandoma surasti funkcini ryši tarp pirkejo pasitikejimo ir finansu. rinku rodikliu. Šis straipsnis ‐ tai meginimas susieti šias dvi rūšis, orientuojantis i ryši tarp finansu. rinku rodikliu ir pirkejo pasitikejimo indekso prieš prasi‐dedant pasaulinei krizei. Šiame straipsnyje pabrežti du išskirtiniai bruožai. Pirma, nustatomi atskiri mo‐teru ir vyru pasitikejimo indeksai naudojantis 2003 m. sausio men. ‐ 2008 m. sausio men. laikotarpio augančiu rinku mikrolygmens pirkejo pasitikejimo duomenimis (Turku CNBC‐e pirkejo pasitikejimo indeksas). Antra, naudojantis šia informacija tikrinamas ne tik esamas ryšys tarp pirkejo pasitikejimo ir finansu. rinku rodikliu (pavyzdžiui, palūkanu normos, valiutu kurso, akciju biržos indekso). Buvo rasta akivaizdžiu skirtumu tarp atsakymu, gautu iš skirtingu lyčiu atstovu. Visa laikotarpi moterys buvo pesi‐mistiškesnes nei vyrai, tikriausiai del žemo geroves lygio. Jos mažiau reagavo i valiutu kurso pokyčius nei vyrai del mažesnes perkamosios galios.

Keywords:

• consumer confidence
• emerging market
• financial market variables
• gender response
• co‐integration

Reikšminiai žodžiai:

• vartotoju pasitikejimas
• augančios rinkos
• finansu rinkos rodikliai
• lyčiu atsaky‐mai
• kointegracija

Notes

Corresponding Author. An earlier version of this paper has been presented at the Annual Conference of the International Association for Feminist Economics held in Boston, MA, USA on 2628 June, 2009.

The authors would like to acknowledge research grant provided by Marmara University Scientific Research Projects Unit under SOS‐D‐300409–0129.