Suppose $E[X]=E[Y]=0$, and $E[X^2]=E[Y^2]=1$. Can you show that $E[X^2Y^2] = 1 + 2\operatorname{cov}(X,Y)^2$? I am not even sure if this expression is correct, I found it in a geostatistics paper, which used this result to show something else. (Note that under these conditions $\operatorname{cov}(X,Y)$ is simply equal to $E[XY]$).


edit: $X$ and $Y$ are Gaussian random variables. Also, it might possibly be useful to consider $E[E[X^2Y^2|X]]$.



Calculating $E[X^2Y^2]$ given $E[X^2]$, $E[Y^2]$, $E[X]$, $E[Y]$, and that $X$, $Y$ are Gaussian.
The result holds if, additionnally to the conditions of the post, one assumes that the **vector** $(X,Y)$ is Gaussian. Then, $Y=aX+\sqrt{1-a^2}Z$ with $a=\mathrm{cov}(X,Y)$ and $Z$ standard Gaussian such that $X$ and $Z$ are independent. Using $E(X^4)=3$, $E(Z)=0$, $E(X^2)=E(Z^2)=1$ and the independence of $X$ and $Z$, one gets indeed that $E(X^2Y^2)=3a^2+0+1-a^2=1+2a^2$.


Otherwise, that is, under the conditions of the post only, the result is false. For example, if $Y=UX$ with $U=\pm1$ centered and such that $U$ and $X$ are independent. all the hypotheses of the post are met but $\mathrm{cov}(X,Y)=0$ and $E(X^2Y^2)=3$.


A well known motto in such situations is: "Joint laws, or else..."


