Experimental and self-reported measures of risk taking and digit ratio (2D:4D): evidence from a large, systematic study

Pablo Brañas-Garza, Matteo Galizzi and Jeroen Nieboer

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: We systematically investigate the links between the digit ratio (2D:4D)—a biomarker for prenatal testosterone exposure—and two measures of individual risk taking: (i) risk preferences (RP) over lotteries with real monetary incentives and (ii) self‐reported risk attitude (RA). We find that both the right‐hand and the left‐hand digit ratio are significantly associated with RP: Subjects with lower digit ratios tend to choose riskier lotteries. Neither digit ratio, however, is associated with self‐reported RA.

Keywords: testosterone; 2D:4D ratio; risk preferences; risk attitudes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C90 C92 D44 D81 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 27 pages
Date: 2018-08-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp, nep-neu and nep-ore
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

Published in International Economic Review, 1, August, 2018, 59(3), pp. 1131 - 1157. ISSN: 0020-6598

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http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/80747/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: EXPERIMENTAL AND SELF‐REPORTED MEASURES OF RISK TAKING AND DIGIT RATIO (2D:4D): EVIDENCE FROM A LARGE, SYSTEMATIC STUDY (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:80747

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