The Relationship of Finger Length Ratios (2D:4D) with Quantitative, Verbal Talent and Anthropometric Parameters

Abstract

BALCI, R. S.; AÇIKGÖZ, A. K.; GÖKER, P. & BOZKIR, M. G.The relationship of finger length ratios (2D:4D) with quantitative, verbal talent and anthropometric parameters. Int. J. Morphol., 36(1):310-318, 2018. SUMMARY:The aim of this study were to investigate the relationship between 2D:4D finger length ratios (the ratio of the second finger length to the fourth finger length) of students from verbal and quantitative weighted fields, and to determine the correlation of these ratios with some anthropometric measurements. For this purpose; hand length, hand width, lengths of second and fourth finger and waist, hip and neck circumferences were taken from totally 398 (199 female, 199 male) students aged 17-25 years by using millimetric callipers and non-elastic standard measuring tape. Demographic data were also taken. Moreover, Body Mass Index (BMI) and 2D:4D finger length ratios of the study group were also calculated. When we investigated the 2D:4D ratios for right, left and dominant hands among verbal and quantitative talented individuals in female students, there were statistically significant differences for right and dominant hand (p=0.032; p=0.042, respectively). On the other hand, there was no difference for left hand in female participants (p>0.05). Furthermore, there were positive correlations with 2D:4D and weight (r=0.38, p<0.001), BMI (r=0.34, p=0.01) of the male students in verballyweighted field and with hip and waist circumferences in male students in quantitatively-weighted field (r=0.30; p=0.002; r=0.41, p<0.001). In male students in quantitatively-weighted fields, there was a weak and positive correlation with 2D:4D finger length ratios and neck circumferences on the left hand, and this relationship was statistically significant (r=0.21; p=0.032). And also, there were no statistically significant correlations between anthropometric measurements and 2D:4D ratios among the female students in quantitatively weighted field. Whereas there were positive correlations with 2D:4D finger length ratios and waist circumference in female students in verballyweighted field (r=0.24, p=0.018). We believe that the data obtained in this study will be a guide for career planning goals of persons according to their quantitative and verbal talents.

Digit ratio (2D:4D): relationship with freestyle swimming performance of adolescent well-trained swimmers

“…Nowadays the relationships of digit ratios (2D:4D) with physical, psychological characteristics and athletic performance is one of the most popular issues in various scientific fields [22,23]. Thus, we wanted to study whether there was a relationship between digit ratio (2D:4D) and swimming performance.…”

The Correlation between Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) and Second to Fourth Digit Ratio (2D:4D) with an Increase in Metabolic Syndrome Scores in Obese Adolescent Girls

“…The length of the second and fourth fingers reflects the hormones testosterone and estrogen levels during the prenatal period (42). Women tend to have 2D and 4D that have similar length rather than men whose 2D tend to be shorter than their 4D, so most of the digit ratios in men are <1 and ≥1 in women (17,43).…”

“…Men with lower digit ratios have higher testosterone levels than estrogen and vice versa in women. In addition, a low digit ratio radiographically is associated with an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and/or OA hips as well as having higher risk for myocardial infarction (14,42). The distribution of the body's adipose tissue is affected by sexual hormone levels in men and women.…”

“…The distribution of the body's adipose tissue is affected by sexual hormone levels in men and women. Estrogen levels increase adipose tissue around a woman's hips and thighs, while an increase in testosterone in men can increase adipose tissue around the abdomen, shoulders and neck (42). Research on digit ratios as a reflection of prenatal hormone exposure was shown in studies conducted on mouse models because they had digits, like humans, which indicated that the digit ratio was determined by the hormonal environment at the fingers' cartilage development time which could be used to interpret the basis of sexual, behavior and disease development (17).…”