Estrogen and Cooperation, Competitiveness, and Risk Preferences

NCT ID: NCT03584971

Last Updated: 2020-10-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-10-08

Study Completion Date

2021-12-30

Brief Summary

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This study observes the effects of female cycle hormones on cooperation, competitiveness and risk preferences under experimental conditions. Especially, the causal effect of estradiol is isolated.

Detailed Description

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Behavioural theories assume that, as a result of natural selection, women undergo a brief, unconscious change in some psychological aspects during ovulation. This short-term change, "ovulatory shift", is assumed to aim to increase the probability of successful reproduction in the decisive days of the female cycle. Amongst others, it is assumed that women behave particularly uncooperatively and particularly competitively towards other women during the fertile days. Though, empirical evidence is ambiguous.

The effect on risk preferences is unclear. Theory generally assumes that female risk aversion increases in the fertile days. However, empirical studies find partly positive and partly negative correlations.

Within the scope of this study, estradiol levels which are collected in the clinical treatment of patients in the Clinic for Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine are to be linked with the behavioural economic measures of cooperation, competitiveness, and risk preferences, which are collected using questionnaires or a computer-based decision task.

The aim of the research project is to quasi-experimentally isolate the effect of estradiol on competitiveness, cooperation and risk preferences of women.

No study known to us has ever been able to realize a comparable quasi-experimental design which is necessary to isolate the causal effect of estradiol on different behavioural measures.

In the experimental group, a sample of approx. 50 women in fertility treatment (In Vitro Fertilization/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (IVF/ICSI), long Gonadotropin releasing Hormone (GnRH) agonist protocol) is surveyed. This allows us to create a quasi-experimental design in which the estradiol level is exogenously manipulated and regularly measured.

A random sample of 30 male students of Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University serves as a control group.

We realize a longitudinal section design with measurement repetitions, which allows inter- and intrapersonal comparisons. A three-stage procedure with two measuring points and a preliminary clarification meeting is planned.

The following measuring instruments are used to record competitiveness, cooperation and risk preference: SOEP Risk Attitude, Social Value Orientation German A, The cooperative and competitive Personality Scale German, Risk aversion, Willingness to compete.

Conditions

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Behavioral Correlates of Estradiol

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

OTHER

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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female patients

women in fertility treatment according to Long GnRH Agonist Protocol

No interventions assigned to this group

control group

random sample of male students

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Patients

1. female
2. patient in fertility treatment according to Long GnRH Agonist Protocol
3. 18 years and older
4. written declaration of consent
5. persons who are contractually capable and mentally able and willing to follow the instructions of the study staff
6. understanding of the German language (written and spoken)

Control group

1. male
2. 18 Years and older
3. written declaration of consent
4. persons who are contractually capable and mentally able and willing to follow the instructions of the study staff
5. understanding of the German language (written and spoken)

Exclusion Criteria

Patients

1. Illiterate
2. pregnant and breastfeeding women
3. persons who are accommodated in an institution on official or court order
4. persons in a dependent or employment relationship with the auditor
5. simultaneous participation in another clinical trial

Control group

1. Illiterate
2. persons who are accommodated in an institution on official or court order
3. persons in a dependent or employment relationship with the auditor
4. simultaneous participation in another clinical trial
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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RWTH Aachen University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Frederik Graff

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Benjamin Rösing, Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

RWTH Aachen

Locations

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RWTH Aachen University Hospital

Aachen, , Germany

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Germany

Central Contacts

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Jan Frederik Graff, Dr.

Role: CONTACT

+49 241 8093341 ext. +492418027066

Benjamin Rösing, Dr.

Role: CONTACT

+49 241 80 27066 ext. +492418027066

Facility Contacts

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Jan Frederik Graff, Dr.

Role: primary

+492418093341 ext. +492418027066

Benjamin Rösing, Dr.

Role: backup

+492418027066 ext. +492418027066

References

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Ranehill, E., Zethraeus, N., Blomberg, L., von Schoultz, B., Hirschberg, A. L., Johannesson, M., & Dreber, A. (2017). Hormonal Contraceptives Do Not Impact Economic Preferences: Evidence from a Randomized Trial. Management Science.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Durante, K. M., Griskevicius, V., Hill, S. E., Perilloux, C., & Li, N. P. (2010). Ovulation, female competition, and product choice: Hormonal influences on consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(6), 921-934.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Gangestad SW, Thornhill R. Menstrual cycle variation in women's preferences for the scent of symmetrical men. Proc Biol Sci. 1998 May 22;265(1399):927-33. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1998.0380.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9633114 (View on PubMed)

Buser, T. (2012a). Digit ratios, the menstrual cycle and social preferences. Games and Economic Behavior, 76(2), 457-470.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Buser, T. (2012b). The impact of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives on competitiveness. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 83(1), 1-10.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Wozniak, D., Harbaugh, W. T., & Mayr, U. (2014). The menstrual cycle and performance feedback alter gender differences in competitive choices. Journal of Labor Economics, 32(1), 161-198.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Pearson, M., & Schipper, B. C. (2013). Menstrual cycle and competitive bidding. Games and Economic Behavior, 78, 1-20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Drichoutis, A. C., & Nayga, R. M. (2015). Do risk and time preferences have biological roots?. Southern Economic Journal, 82(1), 235-256.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Lazzaro SC, Rutledge RB, Burghart DR, Glimcher PW. The Impact of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Economic Choice and Rationality. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 29;11(1):e0144080. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144080. eCollection 2016.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26824245 (View on PubMed)

Murphy RO, Ackermann KA. Social value orientation: theoretical and measurement issues in the study of social preferences. Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2014 Feb;18(1):13-41. doi: 10.1177/1088868313501745. Epub 2013 Sep 23.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24065346 (View on PubMed)

Lu S, Au WT, Jiang F, Xie X, Yam P. Cooperativeness and competitiveness as two distinct constructs: validating the Cooperative and Competitive Personality Scale in a social dilemma context. Int J Psychol. 2013;48(6):1135-47. doi: 10.1080/00207594.2012.743666. Epub 2012 Nov 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23145818 (View on PubMed)

Holt, C. A., & Laury, S. K. (2002). Risk aversion and incentive effects. American economic review, 92(5), 1644-1655.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Niederle, M., & Vesterlund, L. (2007). Do women shy away from competition? Do men compete too much?. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1067-1101.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Related Links

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http://www.diw.de/de/soep

Website of the Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW) Berlin with description and full questionnaires of the German Socio Economic Panel (SOEP)

Other Identifiers

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18-053

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id