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An Exploration of the Role of Risk Tolerance in the Financial Empowerment of Black Women Cover

An Exploration of the Role of Risk Tolerance in the Financial Empowerment of Black Women

By: Gary Clement and  John E. Grable  
Open Access
|Jan 2026

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

Irwin and Millstein’s (1986) Biopsychosocial Risk-Taking Framework as Adapted for this Study.
Irwin and Millstein’s (1986) Biopsychosocial Risk-Taking Framework as Adapted for this Study.

Figure 2.

Conceptual Framework.
Conceptual Framework.

Figure 3.

Modified Conceptual Framework.
Modified Conceptual Framework.

Figure 4.

Partial Regression Plot Showing the Wealth Status of Black Women and non-Black Women.
Partial Regression Plot Showing the Wealth Status of Black Women and non-Black Women.

Figure 5.

Partial Regression Plot Showing the Interaction Effect of Risk Tolerance and Black Female on Wealth Status.
Partial Regression Plot Showing the Interaction Effect of Risk Tolerance and Black Female on Wealth Status.

Figure 6.

Interaction Effect of Risk Tolerance and Black Female on Wealth Status.
Interaction Effect of Risk Tolerance and Black Female on Wealth Status.

Figure 7.

Illustration of Wealth Gap Closing as Risk Tolerance Increases.
Illustration of Wealth Gap Closing as Risk Tolerance Increases.

Figure 8.

Circular Relationship Between and Among Wealth and Education Attributes, Risk Tolerance, and the Observed Wealth Gap between Black Women and Non-Black Women.
Circular Relationship Between and Among Wealth and Education Attributes, Risk Tolerance, and the Observed Wealth Gap between Black Women and Non-Black Women.

Figure 9.

The Association Between Categories of Risk Tolerance and Wealth Status.
The Association Between Categories of Risk Tolerance and Wealth Status.

Mediation Tests of Risk Tolerance as a Function of Being Black Female

ModelIndependent VariableDependent VariableCoefficientsSig.
Wealth

1Black FemaleRisk Tolerance.118.001
2Black FemaleWealth−.697.001
3WealthRisk Tolerance.086.001
4Black FemaleRisk Tolerance.185.001
Wealth .157.001

Education

1Black FemaleRisk Tolerance.118.001
2Black FemaleEducation−.662.001
3EducationRisk Tolerance.037.001
4Black FemaleRisk Tolerance.163.001
Education .048.001

Gender Role Attitude

1Black FemaleRisk Tolerance.118.001
2Black FemaleGender Role Attitude.059.107
3Gender Role AttitudeRisk Tolerance−.030.080
4Black FemaleRisk Tolerance.108.004
Gender Role Attitude −.039.032

Estimates of the Relationship between being a Black Female and Risk Tolerance

Unstandardized CoefficientsStandardized CoefficientstSig.


BStd. ErrorBeta
(Constant)−.991.162 −6.118.000
Black Female.175.049.0893.596.000
Wealth.104.029.0963.588.000
Education.031.010.0813.235.001
Gender Role Attitude−.053.022−.056−2.415.016

Estimates of the Relationship between being a Black Female and Wealth, Moderated by Risk Tolerance

Unstandardized CoefficientsStandardized CoefficientstSig.


BStd. ErrorBeta
(Constant)3.544.102 34.732.000
Black Female (BF)−.600.036−.332−16.545.000
Education.115.007.32715.932.000
Gender-Role Attitude−.027.018−.032−1.569.117
Risk Tolerance.112.024.1224.585.000
BF x Risk Tolerance−.106.037−.075−2.854.004

Correlation Coefficient Estimates between Driving Risk Tolerance and the Variables of Interest in the Study

Driving Risk ToleranceBlack FemaleWealthRisk ToleranceGender Role AttitudeEducation
Driving Risk Tolerance1.000
Black Female−.0161.000
Wealth.020−.322**1.000
Risk Tolerance.281**.038**.075**1.000
Gender-Role Attitude−.018.032*−.087**−.029*1.000
Education.065**−.122**.304**.092**−.146**1.000

Coefficients in the Path Model

EstimateStandardized EstimateS.E.p
Wealth<---Black Female−.716−.373.038.001
Education<---Black Female−.773−.138.096.001
Gender-Role Attitude<---Black Female.081.037.039.037
Risk Tolerance<---Wealth.092.081.024.001
Risk Tolerance<---Education.034.088.006.001
Risk Tolerance<---Gender-Role Attitude−.012−.013.017.459
Risk Tolerance<---Black Female.228.105.044.001

Standardized Indirect Effects

Black FemaleGender-Role AttitudeEducationWealth
Gender Role Attitude.000.000.000.000
Education.000.000.000.000
Wealth.000.000.000.000
Risk Tolerance−.043.000.000.000

Correlation Coefficient Estimates Across the Variables of Interest in the Study

Black FemaleWealthRisk ToleranceGender Role AttitudeEducation 2008Education 2010
Kendall’s Tau-b Correlations

Black Female1.000
Wealth−.322**1.000
Risk Tolerance.038**.075**1.000
Gender Role Attitude.032*−.087**−.029*1.000
Education 2008−.122**.304**.092**−.146**1.000
Education 2010−.114**.300**.092**−.142**.864**1.000

Spearman’s Correlations

Black Female1.000
Wealth−.395**1.000
Risk Tolerance.046**.106**1.000
Gender Role Attitude.036*−.119**−.039*1.000
Education 2008−.137**.413**.125**−.186**1.000
Education 2010−.129**.409**.124**−.179**.917**1.000

Standardized Direct Effects

Black FemaleGender-Role AttitudeEducationWealth
Gender-Role Attitude.037.000.000.000
Education−.138.000.000.000
Wealth−.373.000.000.000
Risk Tolerance.105−.013.088.081

Two-stage Least Squares Analysis Robustness Check of the Moderation Model

Unstandardized CoefficientsStandardized CoefficientstSig.


BStd. ErrorBeta
(Constant)3.547.102 34.683.000
Black Female (BF)−.595.036−.330−16.370.000
Education.115.007.32715.872.000
Gender-Role Attitude−.027.018−.032−1.563.118
Driving Risk Tolerance.111.024.1214.561.000
BF x Driving Risk Tolerance−.109.037−.077−2.926.003

Descriptive Statistics for Variables of Interest in the Study

Black FemaleWealthRisk ToleranceGender Role AttitudeEducation 2008Education 2010
M0.304.860.000.0013.3013.34
Mdn0.005.020.040.2312.0012.00
SD0.460.881.001.002.562.59
Min0.000.00−1.57−1.262.002.00
Max1.006.562.503.4120.0020.00

Standardized Total Effects

Black FemaleGender-Role AttitudeEducationWealth
Gender-Role Attitude.037.000.000.000
Education−.138.000.000.000
Wealth−.373.000.000.000
Risk Tolerance.062−.013.088.081
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fprj-2025-0010 | Journal eISSN: 2206-1355 | Journal ISSN: 2206-1347
Language: English
Page range: 1 - 32
Published on: Jan 23, 2026
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2026 Gary Clement, John E. Grable, published by Financial Advice Association of Australia
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 12 (2026): Issue 1 (January 2026)