THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CHART ANALYSIS:THE ILLUSION OF CONTROLThe psychology of chart analysis is the ability to quickly find patterns and key levels on a chart. It is the ability to quickly switch timeframes and see the main trend. But traders often fall into the other side of the equation. They turn into hypnotized people who do not take their eyes off the magic of charts. The trader hypnotizes the chart and the chart hypnotizes the trader. And it is difficult to break this vicious circle, but it is necessary.
Psychological Dependence On The Price Chart 📉🧠
Chart hypnosis has a major problem when it comes to graphical hypnosis constant monitoring of charts takes away time that could be used more productively. It drains the trader's energy: eyes get tired, attention gets tired. The trader takes wishful thinking for reality and makes mistakes.
PSYCHOLOGICAL PITFALLS OF GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS: 📊
Constant Monitoring 👀
The chart is captivating, especially when a trade is open. You can follow the price movement for hours, enjoying inwardly when it goes in the right direction and worrying when it reverses. The brain is switched off. A person does not think, does not even analyze the meaning of the changing pictures. This is the most real hypnosis.
You can watch water flow forever, fire burn forever. And you can watch price charts forever. Remember how much time you spend watching essentially useless shorts on YouTube? And how much time uselessly watching charts? The only difference is that video relaxes you, while constant price monitoring leads to stress, because your money is at stake.
The Nervous Chef Phenomenon 😓
Another psychological trap of chart analysis is constant checking of price changes. It would seem that a trade has been opened within the framework of risk management, stops have been set, take profit has been set. Why do you need to look at the chart every five minutes? But a trader persistently checks every 5 minutes "is the water boiling?" or "are the potatoes boiled?". Such dependence is not only in trading. Similarly, every 5 minutes we check social networks and phone: "What if someone wrote a comment under my photo?", "What if someone sent me a new message?".
It is logical that after checking the chart every minute extra money will not appear on the account. But there will be a false sense of control, not counting the loss of time. The more often you open the lid of the pot, checking the boiling of water, the longer the water takes to boil.
Emotional Mistakes 📌
Statistics show that 70% of the time the price moves chaotically. Trying to constantly look for a trend or pattern on the chart, you fall into the trap of emotions. Under the emotional influence you open a trade in a bad time zone or close it prematurely, although initially there was a clear direction; to strictly follow the risk management, the established rules of the trading system.
Illusion Of Control 💡
According to statistics, a person has a much higher chance of losing their life in a traffic accident than flying in an airplane. But people continue to fear airplanes more than cars. To the person behind the steering wheel, it's like: "I'm buckled up, I know the traffic regulations, I'm in control." This is called the illusion of control.
There is a classic experiment in psychology. One group of participants is asked to choose a lottery ticket, the second group is given one. Then they are offered to exchange tickets. The second group goes to the exchange without questions, while the first group is less willing to exchange. The experiment shows that people who made an independent decision feel responsible for it and therefore are more confident in winning.
There is a similar trap in trading. The trader thinks that she/he has mastered technical analysis, has considered all the risks, and therefore opened the trade correctly. And now she/he watches the chart every 5 minutes to make sure that she/he is right. In psychology, this is called "thirst for control".
How to Overcome It? ✅
Catch yourself thinking that you've already fallen into one of these traps. And if so, force yourself to simply turn off the screen. Convince yourself that all the rules of risk management have been followed, which means you don't need to spend time on constant monitoring. Force yourself away from the monitor. Watch TV, take care of the garden, do some repairs, go for a bike ride. In other words, there is a temptation to constantly sit at the monitor - try to be as far away from it as possible.
In summary, the psychology of chart analysis in trading is crucial for identifying patterns and key levels and understanding the overall trend. However, overdependence on charts can lead to psychological pitfalls like constant monitoring, causing mental fatigue and mistakes. To overcome these challenges, we should recognize when we fall into these traps, trust our risk management strategies, and engage in other activities to maintain a balanced life.
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