Finger length 'key to aggression'

[intv]

From BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4314209.stm

this link has a sidebar on computing the ratio your own finger lengths:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1613066.stm

 

[size]

I watched a program on this topic. A doctor claimed he would be able to pick the winner of the race simply by measuring the ratio for each runner. It is definitely interesting, and my ring finger is longer than my index finger.

 

[intv]

My ring finger is longer by only 1/8". My 3 year old son's are the same length. My wife was still on birth control pills for 3 months before she knew she was pregnant with him. I wonder if that suppressed the testosterone he got in the womb? He may be non-aggressive and predisposed to early heart disease, all because she wasn't in tune with her body!

 

[NPursuit]

Interesting, mine are about 1/4" longer.

 

[spitboy]

Mine are exactly the same size! Hooray for man boobs and low muscle mass.

ps. I wouldn't worry about your toddler; I doubt the tests are statistically relevant to someone who hasn't hit puberty since the men measured were in it or past it.

 

[Nullifidian]

Cool, my ring finger on my right hand is a full 0.5" longer and 0.25" longer on my left.

 

[size]

Cool, my ring finger on my right hand is a full 0.5" longer and 0.25" longer on my left.

You are a freak.

 

[Nullifidian]

Well it explains my mesomorphic tendancies.

 

[Warthog]

I told my ex gf about this and since shes taking a social psychology class thats actually talking about aggression right now, i had her ask the Professor about the correlation of finger length and aggression. She asked the professor and she laughed at her. She said it was the most ridiculous thing she has ever heard.

Just figured i would share that info with you all

 

[Jack of Shadows]

From BBC News:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4314209.stm

this link has a sidebar on computing the ratio your own finger lengths:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1613066.stm

I think the title of the BBC article is more than a little misleading. Finger length is a marker, but it is not the "key". The authors suggest that it serves as an index of the organizational effects of testosterone during development.

In the abstract to the original article, they note that "Men with lower, more masculine, finger length ratios had higher trait physical aggression scores (r(partial) = -0.21, N = 134, P = 0.028)." Let us all be sure to note that a correlation of .21 (or -.21) is hardly earth shattering and tells us that finger length ratio is explaining only a little more than 4% of the variance in aggression scores. That is hardly indicative of the “key� to aggression.

 

[intv]

I told my ex gf about this and since shes taking a social psychology class thats actually talking about aggression right now, i had her ask the Professor about the correlation of finger length and aggression. She asked the professor and she laughed at her. She said it was the most ridiculous thing she has ever heard.

Just figured i would share that info with you all

Let her show the prof. some pubmed

Finger length ratio (2D:4D) correlates with physical aggression in men but not in women.

Sex-specific finger-length patterns linked to behavioral variables: consistency across various human populations.

Second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) and testosterone in men.

 

[shootmeagain]

I read a study that said guys who go around measuring their fingers are much more likely to waste time.

 

[ersatz]

Very interesting studies to say the least, but I'm somewhat confused. So the bigger the difference between the index and ring finger the more T exposure in the womb and thus translates to better fertility. They also state that a short index finger the higher the aggression, but what about the ratio?

Most importantly how do you measure finger length? I'm measuring from the knuckle because otherwise my index fingers are 1 inch shorter than the ring fingers do a lot of boxing and striking. Left ring finger is +.6" and right ring is +.45" so I should have higher T and increased aggression? The latter holds true but not the first unless that only indicates exposure in the womb. I should also have decreased heart risks but family history indicates otherwise.

 

[judge-mental]

read this:
Digit Ratios and a Predisposition to Strength

http://elitefts.com/documents/digit_ratios.htm

bwahahaha

I love elite BTW

 

[Funny Monkey]

.25" bigger on both hands

 

[Aeternitatis]

I like this:

"the male sex hormone testosterone, which is known to protect against heart attack. "