# Are We More or Less Likely to Take Risks? According to Lazzaro et al. (2016), during ovulation, women tend to be less scared of making risky decisions than men (financially speaking).[^1] They found that women are more rational (or at least less loss-averse) around ovulation when it comes to financial decision-making. We take risks and are not afraid to lose (maybe because we have more confidence, perhaps?) Which, as they concluded, may actually make us more economically rational than men around this time. This is definitely something for me to look into when it comes to writing more about work/career and how it's affected by the menstrual cycle (and how knowing our menstrual cycle can benefit us). That said, does this possibly mean taking gambling risks? (if we tend to dabble in a bit of gambling, that is). I have also learned that women take more risks during ovulation from a few different sources. One course I studied highlighted the fact that this could have implications for young girls taking risks during ovulation (so knowing their cycle would be a good idea (obviously). This was in reference to looking after herself. However, I have just found research that suggests that women's risk-taking behaviour is reduced during ovulation (when it comes to dubious men). Guéguen (2012) conducted an experiment where they measured the distance between a woman and a 'dubious' man in a waiting room.[^2] The results showed that when women were near ovulation, they sat further away from him. The authors suggested that women in their fertile phase were attempting to reduce the risk of sexual assault. So which is it? Are women more likely to take risks during ovulation? or less likely? Or does it depend on the type of risks they are taking? Obviously, there are always [[Female-Based Research Flaws|flaws in female-based research]]. But as usual, we have to start somewhere. Thinking out loud! Thoughts? [^1]: Lazzaro, S.C. _et al._ (2016) ‘The impact of menstrual cycle phase on economic choice and rationality’, _PLoS One_ [Preprint]. [^2]: Guéguen, N. (2012) ‘Risk taking and Women’s Menstrual Cycle: Near Ovulation, Women Avoid a Doubtful Man’, _Letters on Evolutionary Behavioral Science_, 3. Available at: [https://doi.org/10.5178/lebs.2012.17](https://doi.org/10.5178/lebs.2012.17).