Fingers Point to Male Aggression
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Canadian researchers say they’ve found a way to help ‘finger’ men with physically aggressive personalities.
A University of Alberta study finds that measuring a man’s index finger length relative to his ring finger length predicts his predisposition to being physically aggressive.
The shorter the index finger relative to the ring finger, the higher the amount of prenatal testosterone and the more likely the man will be physically aggressive, they researchers say.
In a prepared statement, study co-author Dr. Peter Hurd admitted he initially thought the finger-aggression link was “a pile of hooey,” until he reviewed the data.
According to the researchers, experts have known for a hundred years that the index-to-ring finger length ratio of men differs considerably from that seen in women. And more recently, research has suggested that the length of men’s fingers changes depending on their exposure to testosterone in the womb.
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(Posted on March 29, 2005)