Hormonal Contraceptives Do Not Impact Economic Preferences: Evidence from a Randomized Trial

Ranehill, EvaGothenburg University,Göteborgs universitet,Institutionen för nationalekonomi med statistik,Department of Economics,University of Gothenburg (SE) (author)

LIBRIS-ID:oai:gup.ub.gu.se/265862
https://gup.ub.gu.se/publication/265862URI
https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2844DOI
https://research.hhs.se/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Hormonal-Contraceptives-Do-Not-Impact-Economic/991001480379506056URI
http://kipublications.ki.se/Default.aspx?queryparsed=id:139321836URI

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
A growing body of correlational studies suggests that sex hormones such as those contained in, or affected by, oral contraceptives (OCs) may impact economic behavior. However, despite widespread use of OCs among women in Western countries, little is known about their potential behavioral effects. The present study investigates whether OCs causally influence economic preferences. We randomly allocate 340 women aged 18–35 to three months of a widely used OC or placebo treatment. At the end of treatment, we conduct an economic experiment measuring altruism, financial risk taking, and willingness to compete. The statistical power is 80% to detect an effect size equal to a Cohen’s d of 0.30 at the 5% level. We find no significant effects of OCs on any of the measured preferences, indicating that this widely used OC treatment, commonly used throughout the world, does not significantly affect the measured economic preferences. Further, we find no relation between menstrual cycle phase and economic preferences in the placebo group.

Zethraeus, NiklasKarolinska Institutet (author)
Blomberg, E (author)
von Schoulz, BKarolinska Institutet (SE) (author)
Lind én Hirschberg, AKarolinska Institutet (author)
Johannesson, MagnusStockholm School of Economics,Handelshögskolan i Stockholm(Swepub:hhs)198@hhs.se (author)
Dreber Almenberg, AnnaStockholm School of Economics,Handelshögskolan i Stockholm(Swepub:hhs)1274@hhs.se (author)
Blomberg, LiselottKarolinska Institutet (author)
Lindén Hirschberg, AKarolinska Institutet (SE) (author)
Göteborgs universitetInstitutionen för nationalekonomi med statistik (creator_code:org_t)

In:Management science: Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)64:10, s. 4471-49650025-19091526-5501

By the author/editor: Ranehill, Eva; Zethraeus, Nikla ...; Blomberg, E; von Schoulz, B; Lind én Hirschbe ...; Johannesson, Mag ...; show more...; Dreber Almenberg ...; Blomberg, Liselo ...; Lindén Hirschber ...; show less...

About the subject

By the university: University of Gothenburg; Stockholm School of Economics; Karolinska Institutet

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