Digit ratio (2D:4D) and altruism: evidence from a large, multi-ethnic sample

Matteo Galizzi and Jeroen Nieboer

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

Abstract: We look at the links between the Digit Ratio - the ratio of the length of the index finger to the length of the ring finger – for both right and left hands, and giving in a Dictator Game. Unlike previous studies with exclusively Caucasian subjects, we recruited a large, ethnically diverse sample. Our main results are as follows. First, for Caucasian subjects we estimate a significant positive regression coefficient for the right hand digit ratio and a significant negative coefficient for its squared measure. These results replicate the findings of Brañas-Garza et al. (2013), who also observe an inverted U-shaped relationship for Caucasian subjects. Second, we are not able to find any significant association of the right hand digit ratio with giving in the Dictator Game for the other main ethnic groups in our sample. Third, we find no significant association between giving in the Dictator Game and the left hand digit ratio.

Keywords: testosterone; digit ratio; social preferences; altruism; dictator game (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 C92 D44 D81 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-02
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 (14)

Published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, February, 2015, 9, pp. 41. ISSN: 1662-5153

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