A Critical Bibliometric Analysis of Emotional Intelligence in Investment Decisions Research: Trends, Themes, and Policy Implications

Abstract

This bibliometric analysis is one of the first to investigate the emotional intelligence in investment decision-making regimes by employing hope theory. The study findings are significantly relevant to social researchers, government, banking and financial institutions, corporate sector and academic practitioners, in understanding the impact of behavioural dimensions on investment decisions. This bibliometric study analyses the global review of emotional intelligence research applied to investment decision making through the prism of hope theory and outline the psychological resources that helps investors control their emotions and decisions. Employing a range of bibliometric methodologies, such as keyword co-occurrence analysis, co-citation analysis, and thematic evaluation, the study assesses 381 Scopus bibliographic data points using Bibliometric tools like Biblioshiny and Vosviewer. These findings suggest a significant impact of emotional intelligence in investment decision-making based on research article production from 1999 to 2025. The thematic cluster involves investments, financial decision-making, emotional intelligence, corporate investment decisions, and behavioural finance. The findings pointedly bring out EI as an important psychological resource that enables investors to manage their emotions, beliefs, and risky behaviours. The study also reveals that the theory of hope has not been explored to a large extent in relation to investment decisions making. This bibliometric review reveals a rapid growth of research on emotional intelligence in investment decisions, especially after 2022. The primary focus has been on behavioural finance and the new pathways introduced by AI. Research can be directed towards the hope theory agency and pathways for deeper insights on the role of emotional factors in influencing the investment decision making process.