Association between second to fourth digit ratio and personality among Indian men

Abstract

Objectives To examine the relationship between the personality domains with the second to fourth digit ratio (2d:4d); a prenatal testosterone exposure marker. Methods The 2d:4d for both hands was measured for the Indian male subjects' (n = 994). Ten‐item personality inventory and displaced aggression questionnaire data were collected in a self‐reported proforma in this cross sectional study with a convenient sampling approach. Results The personality traits, namely openness to new experiences, carelessness, and self‐discipline were significantly differed between lower‐half and higher‐half of 2d:4d by median split. The right hand 2d:4d was positively correlated with open to new experiences and negatively correlated with disorganization, carelessness, and revenge planning. The left hand 2d:4d was positively correlated with aggression. On binary logistic regression, openness was positively associated while carelessness was negatively associated with the right hand 2d:4d and self‐discipline trait was negatively associated with the left hand 2d:4d. Conclusion This study affirmed the link between 2d:4d and domains of Big Five personality factors among Indian men and inverse relationship between 2d:4d and more “female” hands in the domains of disorganization, carelessness, and revenge planning even in men, emphasizing the effect of prenatal testosterone exposure on human personality.

Emotional stability is related to 2D:4D and social desirability in women: Possible implications on subjective well-being and psychopathology

“…Therefore, our results indicate that lower 2D:4D is associated with lower emotional stability (higher neuroticism) in women, and consequently we presume that is also associated with higher prenatal testosterone exposure. These results are partially in disagreement with previous studies which found a relationship between 2D:4D and the neuroticism-emotional stability dimension but seem to be in the PLOS ONE opposite direction [28,29,35,[39][40][41][42]; or, conversely, have found no relationship between these variables [30][31][32][33][36][37][38]. In most of the previous studies neuroticism was measured through the Neo Five-Factor Inventory, and here we measured emotional stability through the BFQ.…”

“…Two Italian investigations with the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) found a positive relationship with conscientiousness and agreeableness in a sample of skydivers [36], and a positive relationship with conscientiousness in a sample of cavers [37]. Recently, using the ten-item personality inventory a positive relationship have been found between the right 2D:4D and openness to new experiences and a negative one with disorganization and carelessness [38]. Additionally, in the same study they found a negative relationship between the left 2D:4D and dependable self-disciplined.…”

Is 2D:4D digit ratio related to avowed religion? A study among Mongolian young males from Ulaanbaatar

“…At the population level, males exhibit lower 2D:4D values compared with females (Zheng & Cohn, 2011). Lower 2D:4D values has been shown to be associated with several behavioral and personality traits (Bagepally et al, 2020), including religiosity (Richards et al, 2018).…”