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A 2017 meta-analysis of fetal testosterone levels found that fetal testosterone levels (measured by the 2D:4D digit ratio) had only a small effect size of 0.036 on aggressive or violent behavior. The authors further concluded that "the 2D:4D digit ratio is neither strongly nor reliably related to aggressive or violent behavior". [3]
The most commonly studied digit ratio is that of the 2nd (index finger) and 4th (ring finger), also referred to as the 2D:4D ratio, measured on the palm side. It is proposed that the 2D:4D ratio indicates the degree to which an individual has been exposed to androgens during key stages of fetal development. A lower ratio has been associated ...
Digit ratio (2D:4D, the ratio of index to ring finger length) is a widely used as a proxy measure for prenatal testosterone exposure. Hurd demonstrated that men with more feminine typical-digit ratios showed lower aggressive tendency than males with more masculine-typical digit ratios. [10]
Aggression can manifest in different ways between biological males and females. A study evaluated these differences by using EEG and ECG to monitor neurobiological responses to aggravating stimuli. It was shown that anger and physical aggression was much greater in men than women. Men also scored higher on a scale regarding reactive aggression.
They conducted two studies in which they measured the length of the second and fourth digits (2D:4D) on each hand of participants, an indicator of amount of prenatal androgen exposure, and conducted a questionnaire to determine the verbal aggressiveness of participants. A negative correlation between 2D:4D and verbal aggressiveness was determined.
On the one hand, homosexual men were hypothesized to be exposed to high levels of testosterone in utero, which would be associated with a lower 2D:4D ratio than that found in heterosexual men. On the other hand, homosexual men have been hypothesized to have low prenatal testosterone exposure.
Contests tend to be less frequent, aggressive, and injurious than male-male contests. [103] This leads to a difference in the traits selected. The indirect aggression in which females engage can take the form of damaging the reputation of other women (e.g., via gossip), potentially influencing their sexual behavior and opportunities. [104]
The 2D;4D finger ratio, or relative lengths of the 2nd "index" and 4th "ring" fingers, has become a popular measure of prenatal androgen because of accumulated evidence suggesting the 2D;4D ratios are related to prenatal exposure to testosterone. [56]