Testosterone Linked to Women's Career Choice

Women with higher testosterone levels may be more likely to seek out riskier careers, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Chicago tested the testosterone levels of 500 graduate business students, then tracked their post-graduation career moves. Ultimately 36% of women went into high-risk financial careers, and those with more testosterone were slightly more likely to be among them.

But the link is a tenuous one, researchers say. In a risk-taking game the subjects were asked to play, 94% of decisions could be explained by factors other than testosterone. And the effect higher levels may have on women doesn’t appear to hold true for men, though they were on the whole far more likely to embark on risk-taking business careers, with 57% taking that route. (More study stories.)