Investigating digit ratio (2D:4D) in a highly male-dominated occupation: The case of firefighters

Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

Volumn 51, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 146-156

  Voracek, Martin ^a   Pum, Ulrike ^a   Dressler, Stefan G ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA   (Austria)

Author keywords

Digit ratio (2D:4D); Firefighters; Masculinization; Prenatal testosterone

Indexed keywords

EID: 77951658450     PISSN: 00365564     EISSN: 14679450     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00758.x     Document Type: Article

References (76)

1. Austin E J, Manning J T, McInroy K, Mathews E. A preliminary investigation of the associations between personality, cognitive ability and digit ratio. Personality and Individual Differences 2002, 33:1115-1124.
2. Baker F. Anthropological notes on the human hand. American Anthropologist 1888, 1:51-76.
3. Beauducel A, Strobel A, Brocke B. Psychometrische Eigenschaften und Normen einer deutschsprachigen Fassung der Sensation Seeking-Skalen, Form V [Psychometric properties and norms of a German version of the Sensation Seeking Scales, Form V]. Diagnostica 2003, 49:61-72.
4. Behling O, Law K S. Translating questionnaires and other research instruments: Problems and solutions 2000, Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage
5. Benderlioglu Z, Nelson R J. Digit length ratios predict reactive aggression in women, but not in men. Hormones and Behavior 2004, 46:558-564.
6. Brown W M, Hines M, Fane B A, Breedlove S M. Masculinized finger length patterns in human males and females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Hormones and Behavior 2002, 42:380-386.
7. Busby D M, Christensen C, Crane D R, Larson J H. A revision of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale for use with distressed and nondistressed couples: Construct hierarchy and multidimensional scales. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 1995, 21:289-308.
8. Cattrall F R, Vollenhoven B J, Weston G C. Anatomical evidence for in utero androgen exposure in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Fertility and Sterility 2005, 84:1689-1692.
9. Coren S. The left-hander syndrome: The causes and consequences of left-handedness 1993, New York, Vintage Books
10. Coren S. Prenatal testosterone exposure, left-handedness, and high school delinquency. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 1998, 21:369-370.
11. Daly M P, Gooding C D, Jessen H M, Auger A P. Indicators of developmental deviance in individuals at risk for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research 2008, 101:152-160.
12. Ecker A. Einige Bemerkungen über einen schwankenden Charakter in der Hand des Menschen [Some remarks on a varying property of the human hand]. Archiv für Anthropologie (Braunschweig) 1875, 8:67-74.
13. Fink B, Neave N, Manning J T. Second to fourth digit ratio, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-chest ratio: Their relationships in heterosexual men and women. Annals of Human Biology 2003, 30:728-738.
14. Fink B, Neave N, Laughton K, Manning J T. Second to fourth digit ratio and sensation seeking. Personality and Individual Differences 2006, 41:1253-1262.
15. Fjelstad M A. A study of the relationship between the firefighter occupational role and dyadic adjustment. 1978, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Oregon State University
16. Galis F, Ten Broek C M A, Van Dongen S, Wijnaendts L C D. Sexual dimorphism in the prenatal digit ratio (2D:4D). Archives of Sexual Behavior
17. Geschwind N, Galaburda A M. Cerebral lateralization: Biological mechanisms, associations and pathology 1987, Cambridge, MA, MIT Press
18. Grüning J. Über die Länge der Finger und Zehen bei einigen Völkerstämmen [About the length of fingers and toes in some tribes]. Archiv für Anthropologie (Braunschweig) 1886, 16:511-518.
19. Hampson E, Ellis C L, Tenk C M. On the relation between 2D:4D and sex-dimorphic personality traits. Archives of Sexual Behavior 2008, 37:133-144.
20. Hönekopp J, Bartholdt L, Beier L, Liebert A. Second to fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) and adult sex hormone levels: New data and a meta-analytic review. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2007, 32:313-321.
21. Hurd P L, Bailey A A, Gongal P A, Yan R H, Greer J J, Pagliardini S. Intrauterine position effects on anogenital distance and digit ratio in male and female mice. Archives of Sexual Behavior 2008, 37:9-18.
22. Jackson C. Prediction of hemispheric asymmetry as measured by handedness from digit length and 2D:4D digit ratio. Laterality 2008, 13:34-50.
23. Kállai J, Csathó A, Kövér F, Makány T, Nemes J, Horváth K. MRI-assessed volume of left and right hippocampi in females correlates with the relative length of the second and fourth fingers (the 2D:4D ratio). Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 2005, 140:199-210.
24. Kondo T J, Zákány J, Innis J W, Duboule D. Of fingers, toes and penises. Nature 1997, 390:29.
25. Lippa R A. Finger lengths, 2D:4D ratios, and their relation to gender-related personality traits and the Big Five. Biological Psychology 2006, 71:116-121.
26. Lombardo M P, Thorpe P A. Digit ratios in green anolis lizards (Anolis carolinensis). Anatomical Record 2008, 291:433-440.
27. Lutchmaya S, Baron-Cohen S, Raggatt P, Knickmeyer R, Manning J T. 2nd to 4th digit ratios, fetal testosterone and estradiol. Early Human Development 2004, 77:23-28.
28. Malas M A, Dogan S, Hilal Evcil E H, Desdicioglu K. Fetal development of the hand, digits and digit ratio (2D:4D). Early Human Development 2006, 82:469-475.
29. Manning J T. Digit ratio: A pointer to fertility, behavior, and health 2002, New Brunswick, NJ, Rutgers University Press
30. Manning J T, Taylor R P. 2nd to 4th digit ratio and male ability in sport: implications for sexual selection in humans. Evolution and Human Behavior 2001, 22:61-69.
31. Manning J T, Scutt D, Wilson J, Lewis-Jones D I. The ratio of 2nd to 4th digit length: A predictor of sperm numbers and concentrations of testosterone, luteinizing hormone and oestrogen. Human Reproduction 1998, 13:3000-3004.
32. Manning J T, Trivers R L, Singh D, Thornhill R. The mystery of female beauty. Nature 1999, 399:214-215.
33. Manning J T, Barley L, Walton J, Lewis-Jones D I, Trivers R L, Singh D. The 2nd:4th digit ratio, sexual dimorphism, population differences and reproductive success: Evidence for sexually antagonistic genes. Evolution and Human Behavior 2000, 21:163-183.
34. Manning J T, Martin S, Trivers R L, Soler M. 2nd to 4th digit ratio and offspring sex ratio. Journal of Theoretical Biology 2002, 217:93-95.
35. Manning J T, Bundred P E, Newton D J, Flanagan B F. The second to fourth digit ratio and variation in the androgen receptor gene. Evolution and Human Behavior 2003, 24:399-405.
36. Manning J T, Bundred P E, Taylor R. The ratio of 2nd and 4th digit length: a prenatal correlate of ability in sport. Kinanthropometry VIII: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) 2003, 165-174. Reilly T, Marfell-Jones M, In, Eds, pp, London, Routledge
37. Manning J T, Henzi P, Venkatramana P, Martin S, Singh D. Second to fourth digit ratio: Ethnic differences and family size in English, Indian and South African populations. Annals of Human Biology 2003, 30:579-588.
38. Manno F A M. Measurement of the digit lengths and the anogenital distance in mice. Physiology & Behavior 2008, 93:364-368.
39. Mantegazza P. Della lunghezza relativa dell'indice e dell'anulare nella mano umana [About the relative length of the index finger to the ring finger in the human hand]. Archivio per l'Antropologia e la Etnologia 1877, 7:19-25.
40. McFadden D, Shubel E. Relative lengths of fingers and toes in human males and females. Hormones and Behavior 2002, 42:492-500.
41. McIntyre M H. The use of digit ratios as markers for perinatal androgen action. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2006, 4. [article]
42. McIntyre M H, Ellison P T, Lieberman D E, Demerath E, Towne B. The development of sex differences in digital formula from infancy in the Fels Longitudinal Study. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences 2005, 272:1473-1479.
43. McMechan A P, O'Leary-Moore S K, Morrison S D, Hannigan J H. Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on forepaw digit length and digit ratios in rats. Developmental Psychobiology 2004, 34:251-258.
44. Medland S M, Loehlin J C, Martin N G. No effects of prenatal hormone transfer on digit ratio in a large sample of same- and opposite-sex dizygotic twins. Personality and Individual Differences 2008, 44:1225-1234.
45. Nachtigall C, Kroehne U, Funke F, Steyer R. (Why) should we use SEM? Pros and Cons of structural equation modeling. Methods of Psychological Research Online 2003, 8:1-22.
46. Nakagawa S. A farewell to Bonferroni: The problems of low statistical power and publication bias. Behavioral Ecology 2004, 15:1044-1045.
47. Ökten A, Kalyoncu M, Yaris N. The ratio of second- and fourth-digit lengths and congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Early Human Development 2002, 70:47-54.
48. Perneger T V. What's wrong with Bonferroni adjustments. British Medical Journal 1998, 316:1236-1238.
49. Peters M, Mackenzie K, Bryden P. Finger length and distal finger extent patterns in humans. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 2002, 117:209-217.
50. Peters M, Tan U, Kang Y, Teixeira L, Mandal M. Sex-specific finger-length patterns linked to behavioral variables: Consistency across various human populations. Perceptual and Motor Skills 2002, 94:171-181.
51. Putz D A, Gaulin S J C, Sporter R J, McBurney D H. Sex hormones and finger length: What does 2D:4D indicate? Evolution and Human Behavior 2004, 25:182-199.
52. Rizwan S, Manning J T, Brabin B J. Maternal smoking during pregnancy and possible effects of in utero testosterone: Evidence from the 2D:4D finger length ratio. Early Human Development 2007, 83:97-90.
53. Romano M, Rubolini D, Martinelli R, Alquati A B, Saino M. Experimental manipulation of yolk testosterone affects digit length ratios in the ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). Hormones and Behavior 2005, 48:342-346.
54. Rusbult C E, Farrell D. A longitudinal test of the investment model: The impact on job satisfaction, job commitment, and turnover of variations in rewards, costs, alternatives, and investments. Journal of Applied Psychology 1983, 68:429-438.
55. Rusbult C E, Martz J M, Agnew C R. The Investment Model Scale: Measuring commitment level, satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size. Personal Relationships 1998, 5:357-391.
56. Saino N, Leoni B, Romano M. Human digit ratios depend on birth order and sex of older siblings and predict maternal fecundity. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 2006, 60:34-45.
57. Salazar-Martinez E, Romano-Riquer P, Yanez-Marquez E, Longnecker M P, Hernandez-Avila M. Anogenital distance in human male and female newborns: A descriptive, cross-sectional study. Environmental Health 2004, 13. [article]
58. Spanier G B. Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads. Journal of Marriage and the Family 1976, 38:15-28.
59. Tanner J M. Foetus into man: Physical growth from conception to maturity 1990, 2nd, rev. and enl. edn, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press
60. Trivers R, Manning J T, Jacobson A. A longitudinal study of digit ratio (2D:4D) and other finger ratios in Jamaican children. Hormones and Behavior 2006, 49:150-156.
61. Van Anders S M, Vernon P A, Wilbur C J. Finger-length ratios show evidence of prenatal hormone-transfer between opposite-sex twins. Hormones and Behavior 2006, 49:315-319.
62. Voracek M. Of mice and men - cross-species digit ratio (2D:4D) research: Comment on Bailey, Wahlsten, and Hurd (2005). Genes, Brain and Behavior 2006, 5:299-300.
63. Voracek M, Dressler S G. Lack of correlation between digit ratio (2D:4D) and Baron-Cohen's " Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test, empathy, systemising, and autism-spectrum quotients in a general population sample. Personality and Individual Differences 2006, 41:1481-1491.
64. Voracek M, Dressler S G. Digit ratio (2D:4D) in twins: Heritability estimates and evidence for a masculinized trait expression in women from opposite-sex pairs. Psychological Reports 2007, 100:115-126.
65. Voracek M, Manning J T. Length of fingers and penis are related through fetal Hox gene expression. Urology 2003, 62:201.
66. Voracek M, Offenmüller D. Digit ratios (2D:4D and other) and relative thumb length: A test of developmental stability. Perceptual and Motor Skills 2007, 105:143-152.
67. Voracek M, Pavlovic S. The tell-tale hand: The relationship of 2D:4D to perceived attractiveness, sex typicality, and other attributes of palms. Journal of Individual Differences 2007, 28:88-97.
68. Voracek M, Manning J T, Ponocny I. Digit ratio (2D:4D) in homosexual and heterosexual men from Austria. Archives of Sexual Behavior 2005, 34:335-340.
69. Voracek M, Reimer B, Ertl C, Dressler S G. Digit ratio (2D:4D), lateral preferences, and performance in fencing. Perceptual and Motor Skills 2006, 103:427-446.
70. Voracek M, Dressler S G, Manning J T. Evidence for assortative mating on digit ratio (2D:4D), a biomarker for prenatal androgen exposure. Journal of Biosocial Science 2007, 39:599-612.
71. Voracek M, Manning J T, Dressler S G. Repeatability and interobserver error of digit ratio (2D:4D) measurements made by experts. American Journal of Human Biology 2007, 19:142-146.
72. Voracek M, Dressler S G, Loibl L M. The contributions of Hans-Dieter Rösler: Pioneer of digit ratio (2D:4D) research. Psychological Reports 2008, 103:899-916.
73. Weissenberg S. Über die Formen der Hand und des Fußes [About the types of the hand and the foot]. Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 1895, 27:82-111.
74. Zuckerman M. Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of Sensation Seeking 1994, Cambridge, MA, Cambridge University Press
75. Zuckerman M. Psychobiology of personality 2005, 2nd, rev. and updated edn, Cambridge, MA, Cambridge University Press
76. Zuckerman M, Eysenck H J, Eysenck S B G. Sensation Seeking in England and America: Cross-cultural, age, and sex comparisons. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1978, 46:139-149.