The Effects Of Prenatal Testosterone On Adult Wages: Evidence From Russian Rlms Data And Measured 2d:4d Digit Ratios

Kochergina Ekaterina Vladimirovna; Nye John V.C.; Yudkevich Maria M.; Orel Ekaterina

Working paper

The Effects Of Prenatal Testosterone On Adult Wages: Evidence From Russian Rlms Data And Measured 2d:4d Digit Ratios

Economics/EC. WP BRP. Высшая школа экономики, 2014. No. 71.

Kochergina E. V., Nye J. V., Yudkevich M. M., Orel E.

There is now a large literature on the correlates of prenatal androgen exposure and various individual measures of performance in sports, business, or schooling. However, still there is a relatively limited evidence on the impact of prenatal androgens on life achievement. Using data from the Russian longitudinal survey and measured digit rations, we found that age-corrected market wages are correlated with low measured 2D:4D ratios signifying higher prenatal testosterone. Unlike earlier work on non-cognitive correlates of labor market wages, our findings indicate a clear-cut optimum 2D:4D ratio for women’s wages with higher and lower 2D:4D being associated with lowered wages.

Priority areas: economics

Language: English

Full text (PDF, 2.06 Mb)

Keywords: Adult wages Prenatal Testosterone Female earnings

Publication based on the results of: Empirical methods in comparative institutional analysis(2014)

2D:4D and lifetime educational outcomes: Evidence from the Russian RLMS survey

John V.C. Nye, Maksym Bryukhanov, Sergiy Polyachenko. Personality and Individual Differences. 2017. Vol. 112, 1 July 2017. P. 62-66.

Does in utero exposure to testosterone – as proxied by measured 2D:4D digit ratios – affect lifetime educational outcomes? A growing body of work finds 2D:4D to be associated with aggression, physical fitness, performance in computer science, and type of occupation. While most work tends to show a negative relationship between 2D:4D and outcomes, the link between 2D:4D and male aggression should mean that prenatal T could also have negative effects for some outcomes. Using a large sample of families in Moscow and the Moscow region drawn from the Russian RLMS-HSE longitudinal survey, we observe clear links between measured 2D:4D digit ratios and the levels of education obtained by men. Statistically significant positive associations of 2D:4D (lower prenatal T) with higher levels of education were found, using difference in means analysis as well as generalized ordered logit regressions. These findings were also robust to using different subsamples. Weaker findings were seen for women. Since many of the earlier findings have showed the benefits of higher prenatal T for achievement, the current finding of a negative effect of prenatal T on educational attainment raises interesting issues about the ambiguous effects of prenatal T.

Added: Mar 13, 2017

DOES BIOLOGICAL ENDOWMENT MATTER FOR DEMAND FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES? EVIDENCE FROM RUSSIAN HOUSEHOLD SURVEY

Semenova M., Andrievskaya I. Financial Economics. FE. Высшая школа экономики, 2016. No. WP BRP 52/FE/2016.

There are many studies revealing factors which influence the demand for financial services. However genetic features, determining the individual’s overall postnatal behaviour, have not been studied within this context. This paper extends the previous literature by studying to what extent individual biological endowment, proxied by prenatal testosterone (PT) (measured by the 2D:4D ratio), can determine personal demand for bank services and insurance. We use data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey of 2011–2012. Our findings confirm the existence of the link between inherent biological variation and financial inclusion: PT affects the use of bank cards, intention to take out a loan, having a bank deposit and the consumption of insurance products.

Added: Feb 3, 2016

Does biological endowment matter for demand for financial services? Evidence from 2D:4D ratio in the Russian household survey

Semenova M., Andrievskaya I. K. Personality and Individual Differences. 2017. Vol. 104. P. 155-165.

There are many studies revealing factors which influence the demand for financial services. However genetic features, determining the individual's overall postnatal behaviour, have not been studied within this context. This paper extends the previous literature by studying to what extent individual biological endowment, proxied by prenatal testosterone (PT, measured by the 2D:4D ratio), can determine personal demand for bank services and insurance. We use the data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) of 2011–2012. Our findings confirm the existence of the link between inherent biological variation and financial inclusion: PT affects the use of bank cards, intention to borrow from a bank, having a bank deposit and the consumption of insurance products.

Added: Aug 9, 2016

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Added: May 14, 2012

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2012.

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Added: May 3, 2012

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