The digit ratio (2D:4D) and economic preferences: no robust associations in a sample of 330 women

Elle Parslow1, Eva Ranehill2, Niklas Zethraeus3, Liselott Blomberg4, Bo von Schoultz4, Angelica Lindén Hirschberg4, Magnus Johannesson1, Anna Dreber5
1Department of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, P.O Box 6501, 11383, Stockholm, Sweden
2Department of Economics, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
3Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
4Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
5Department of Economics, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria

Tóm tắt

Abstract Many studies report on the association between 2D:4D, a putative marker for prenatal testosterone exposure, and economic preferences. However, most of these studies have limited sample sizes and test multiple hypotheses (without preregistration). In this study we mainly replicate the common specifications found in the literature for the association between the 2D:4D ratio and risk taking, the willingness to compete, and dictator game giving separately. In a sample of 330 women we find no robust associations between any of these economic preferences and 2D:4D. We find no evidence of a statistically significant relation for 16 of the 18 total regressions we run. The two regression specifications which are statistically significant have not previously been reported and the associations are not in the expected direction, and therefore they are unlikely to represent a real effect.

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Tài liệu tham khảo

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