Posted on 03/05/2005 5:48:53 AM PST by Pharmboy
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - How long a man's second finger is relative to his fourth finger appears to predict whether he is prone to be physically aggressive toward others, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
But it's not finger length that causes aggression, study author Allison A. Bailey warned in an interview.
She explained that the important factor is the male hormone testosterone. Fetuses are exposed to various levels of this hormone in the womb, and research shows that men who were exposed to higher levels tend to have shorter second fingers, relative to their fourth fingers. "More testosterone, relatively longer ring finger," co-author Dr. Peter L. Hurd told Reuters Health.
Men with shorter second fingers were probably exposed to more testosterone in the womb, and this may cause them to be more prone to physical aggression later in life, Bailey explained. "More testosterone in the womb predicts more physical aggression in men," she told Reuters Health.
Alternatively, both testosterone exposure and finger length may be influenced by a "deeper third variable," Hurd noted. Regardless, the study shows that "events in the womb can have subtle effects on children's personality," Hurd added.
This is not the first study to link the ratio between a man's second and fourth fingers to his personality, Bailey noted. Previous reports have found that men with smaller ratios - meaning, their second finger is much smaller than their fourth - tend to do better in sports, and are perceived as more dominant and masculine by women.
However, other research has shown that men with smaller second-to-fourth finger ratios are at higher risk of autism and immune deficiency.
To investigate how finger ratios match up with physical aggression, Bailey and Hurd measured the finger ratios in 298 psychology students, and asked them to complete a questionnaire measuring aggression.
The questionnaire measured four types of aggression, Bailey noted: physical ("if someone hits me, I hit back"), anger ("I flare up quickly"), hostility ("I am often eaten up by jealousy"), and verbal ("I tell my friends when I disagree with them").
The researchers found that shorter second-to-fourth finger ratios predicted proneness to physical aggression, but not other types of aggression, and only in men, not in women.
In general, men had smaller finger ratios than women, the authors report in the journal Biological Psychology.
Bailey cautioned that these findings only link a shorter finger ratio to a tendency toward physical aggression, and do not show that men with shorter ratios are actually more aggressive. "Somebody might never have acted on anything," she said.
Moreover, behavior is influenced by many other factors, Bailey added. Finger ratios are "just one piece of the puzzle," she said.
SOURCE: Biological Psychology, March 2005.
Haven't you been told to stay away from psychologists?
See post #15
Only kidding. ;)
lmao, you tell 'em Lazamataz!
I guess Juanita Broderick should have checked out Bubba's hands when she met him.
This article explains it better. I think this "linked" and "predict" stuff is bogus. Do they even know how testosterone levels influence the finger length? BTW, my ring finger is longer than my index finger. Should I go and beat my wife or something?
Ahhh, Johnny Cash, the man in black. One of the greatest singers ever, in my book. I've always had a soft spot for that picture. Talk about rebellion... the whining little punks of today have no clue!
Now I find out it's my fingles?
I guess I'll have to can that joke. ;)
So it mine but I have no aggression problems. However, everyone else around me seems to always be in my way and they often need to be shoved in the right direction.
Sorry, got to go and kick some butt for a while!
Well, you know what they say about guys with big hands and big feet.
(Big gloves and big shoes)
bttt until this finger numbering gets 'fingered' out.
:)
LMAO!
Laz, when can I expect my new keyboard?
Any study documenting a biological basis for differences in behavior between men and women is a blow against radical feminists who claim that all differences are caused by differeences in environment.
Testosterone-crazed PING!!
ping
Yep...that's the way I see it, Paleo C.
bump
The Honorable Mr. Mason is on the board...
Hey, I've been looking to buy a bridge...do you have one for sale in the Brooklyn area?
bump
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