Digit ratio (2D:4D) and hand preference for writing in the BBC Internet Study

Authors: Manning, J. T.¹; Peters, M.²

Source: Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain, and Cognition, Volume 14, Number 5, September 2009 , pp. 528-540(13)

Publisher: Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $50.43 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

The ratio of the length of the second to the fourth digit (2D:4D) may be negatively correlated with prenatal testosterone. Hand preference has been linked with prenatal testosterone and 2D:4D. Here we show that 2D:4D is associated with hand preference for writing in a large internet sample (n>170,000) in which participants self-reported their finger lengths. We replicated a significant association between right 2D:4D and writing hand preference (low right 2D:4D associated with left hand preference) as well as a significant correlation between writing hand preference and the difference between left and right 2D:4D or Dr-l (low Dr-l associated with left hand preference). A new significant correlation between left 2D:4D and writing hand preference was also shown (high left 2D:4D associated with left hand preference). There was a clear interaction between writing hand preference and 2D:4D: The left 2D:4D was significantly larger than the right 2D:4D in male and female left-handed writers, and the right hand 2D:4D was significantly larger than the left hand 2D:4D in male and female right-handed writers.

Keywords: Digit ratio; Hand preference; Hand

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13576500802637872

Affiliations: 1: University of Wales, Swansea, UK 2: University of Guelph, ON, Canada

Publication date: 2009-09-01

More about this publication?