2D:4D Does Not Predict Economic Preferences: Evidence from a Large, Representative Sample

Levent Neyse (), Magnus Johannesson and Anna Dreber

No 1086, SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research from DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP)

Abstract: The digit ratio (2D:4D) is considered a proxy for testosterone exposure in utero, and there has been a recent surge of studies testing whether 2D:4D is associated with economic preferences. Although the results are not conclusive, previous studies have reported statistically significant correlations between 2D:4D and risk taking, altruism, positive reciprocity, negative reciprocity and trust. Many “researcher degrees of freedom” and small sample sizes are important limitations of previous studies. We present results from a pre-registered large sample study testing if 2D:4D is associated with economic preferences. Data were collected in a representative sample of adults in the German Socioeconomic Panel-Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS), in a sample of about 3,450 respondents (about 5 times larger than the previously largest study in this field). We find no statistically significant association between 2D:4D and economic preferences in the largest study to this date on the topic.

Keywords: Economic behavior; prenatal hormones; testosterone; digit ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D03 D87 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38 p.
Date: 2020
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-neu
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Related works:
Journal Article: 2D:4D does not predict economic preferences: Evidence from a large, representative sample (2021)
Journal Article: 2D:4D does not predict economic preferences: Evidence from a large, representative sample (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:diw:diwsop:diw_sp1086

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