The 2D:4D ratio does not always correlate with economic behavior: A field experiment with African-Americans

Natalia Candelo Londono () and Catherine Eckel

Economics & Human Biology, 2018, vol. 30, issue C, 172-181

Abstract: Several studies present evidence of correlations between prenatal testosterone exposure measured with the 2D:4D ratio and behaviors such as pro-social behavior, risk and patient attitudes, and self-employment. Individuals exposed prenatally to higher levels of testosterone have lower levels of risk aversion, higher levels of patience and invest more in others, and in themselves, therefore have higher individual financial wellbeing. We test these hypotheses with a sample of 115 African-Americans who live in a low-income urban area in the U.S. The 2D:4D ratio in our sample of males and females does not have a consistent and robust correlation with risk, patient attitudes, pro-social behavior and self-employment in contrast to previous studies.

Keywords: Risk; Time preferences; Patience; Pro-social behavior; Self-employment; 2D:4D ratio; Prenatal testosterone exposure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 C93 H4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:30:y:2018:i:c:p:172-181

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2018.07.002

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