Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/58357 
Year of Publication: 
2009
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 09-12
Publisher: 
University of California, Department of Economics, Davis, CA
Abstract: 
In an experiment using two-bidder first-price sealed bid auctions with symmetric independent private values, we scan also the right hand of each subject. We study how the ratio of the length of the index and ring fingers (2D:4D) of the right hand, a measure of prenatal hormone exposure, is correlated with bidding behavior and total profits. 2D:4D has been reported to predict competitiveness in sports competition (Manning and Taylor, 2001, and Honekopp, Manning and Muller, 2006), risk aversion in an investment task (Dreber and Hofman, 2007), and the average profitability of high-frequency traders in financial markets (Coates, Gurnell and Rustichini, 2009). We do not find any significant correlation between 2D:4D and both bidding or profits. Yet, our study raises an issue of ethnic differences with respect to 2D:4D.
Subjects: 
hormones
digit ratio
2D:4D
risk behavior
competition
competitive behavior
bidding
endocrinological economics
JEL: 
C72
C91
C92
D44
D81
D87
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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