Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
893185 Personality and Individual Differences 2007 10 Pages PDF
Abstract

It has been proposed that high prenatal androgens, low prenatal estrogens, or both may be associated with a low (i.e., masculine) second to fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between 2D:4D ratio and gender-role orientation. Participants were 423 male and 312 female university students ranging in age from 18 to 36 years. After filling in the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), participants’ 2D:4D ratios were measured on both hands. While regression analyses failed to indicate a functional relationship between aspects of gender-role orientation and 2D:4D ratio in the female sample, the BSRI-Femininity score was positively related to the left-hand 2D:4D ratio in males. This finding suggests that a more feminine gender-role orientation in men is associated with lower androgen and/or higher estrogen levels in utero. However, our findings also draw attention to difficulties and inconsistencies in the interpretation of 2D:4D data.

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