London, May 14 (IANS): A woman's touch is all it takes to make men feel more secure and more willing to take risks.

A research shows that a simple pat on the back from a woman appears to be all men need to throw financial caution to the wind, reports express.co.uk.

Tests revealed a man would chance more money even if a woman just spoke to him or shook his hand but the effect disappeared if another man patted him on the back.

Volunteers were greeted in different ways - some by a female or male tester and with a touch on the shoulder, some with a handshake, and some with no physical contact. All were assessed on how secure they felt.

"Participants who were touched by women felt more secure and took bigger risks than those who weren't. The effect was stronger for a touch on the back than a handshake, but went away entirely for participants touched by a man," said Jonathan Levav, associate professor of business at Columbia University in New York.