Prof Alison Booth at the Australian National University, who led the team, said the results showed risk-taking in women came down to social learning and environmental factors, rather than inherent gender traits.
On average women are less likely to make risky choices than men at both dates. However, after eight weeks in a single-sex environment, women were significantly more likely to choose the lottery than their counterparts in co-educational groups.
"Indeed, by week eight women in all-female groups behaved in a similar way to men. Once they are placed in an all-female environment, this inhibition is reduced," said Prof Booth.
The researchers said that the findings had implications for the labour market."Recent studies in experimental economics have shown that, on average, women are more risk averse than men. If much of the remuneration in high-paying jobs consists of bonuseslinked to a company's performance, relatively fewer women will choose high-paying jobs because of the uncertainty," he said.
Agency.
