Finger length continues to be an area of fascination for researchers around the world. Hot on the heels of research that showed a correlation between finger length and sexual preference, comes a new study that notes the statistical match-up between finger length and aggressiveness.
Author of the study, Peter Hurd, thought the whole idea was nonsense but he changed his mind when he saw the data. Hurd and co-researcher Allison Bailey have shown that a man’s index finger length relative to ring finger length can predict how inclined that man is to be physically aggressive. Women, apparently, do not show a similar effect.
The researchers, from the University of Alberta, said that it has been known for more than a century that the length of the index finger relative to the ring finger differs between men and women. More recently, researchers have found a direct correlation between finger lengths and the amount of testosterone that a fetus is exposed to in the womb. The shorter the index finger relative to the ring finger, the higher the amount of prenatal testosterone received.
“More than anything, I think the findings reinforce and underline that a large part of our personalities and our traits are determined while we’re still in the womb,” said Hurd. “Finger length can tell you a little bit about where personality comes from, and that’s what we are continuing to explore.”
Hurd is conducting ongoing research in this area, including a study that involves measuring hockey players’ finger lengths and cross referencing the results with each player’s penalty minutes.
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