Citation

Finley B, Kalwij A, Kapteyn A. Econ. Hum. Biol. 2022; 47: e101178.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101178

PMID

36084390

Abstract

The second-to-fourth digit length ratio of an individual's hand (digit ratio) is a putative biomarker for prenatal exposure to testosterone. We examine the hypothesized negative association between the digit ratio and the preference for risk taking within a large U.S. population survey. Our statistical framework provides a cardinal proxy for the true digit ratio based on ordinal digit ratio measurements and accounts for measurement error under the assumptions of Gaussianity and time-invariant true digit ratios. Our empirical findings support the hypothesis and suggest a meaningful biological basis for risk preferences.

Language: en

Keywords

Digit ratio; Measurement error; Risk preferences; U.S. survey data