Abstract
The ratio of the length of the 2nd and 4th digits of the hand is an indicator of prenatal testosterone exposure and has been shown to be a within sex correlate of various abilities, such as visuo-spatial processing in men. However, a number of studies report such links also exist in women, whilst others show no link for either sex. Using a unique paradigm that sub-divides visuo-spatial processing into a distinct subset of component skills we found a strong correlation between finger ratio and spatial memory performance specifically under stereo viewing conditions in women. We argue that the current ambiguity regarding links between digit-ratio and visuo-spatial ability is the result of a lack of clarity between the component skills recruited in different visuo-spatial tasks. Our task independently tested a subset of the component skills used in visuo-spatial tasks such as: mental rotation, cross-dimensionality processing and feature detection. Our results show that digit-ratio, a physical parameter linked to prenatal testosterone levels, indicates performance on a distinct aspect of visuo-spatial processing in women, without contradicting previous links for visuo-spatial processing in men. These results offer an explanation for the differences in previous findings linking visuo-spatial processing in both men and women.
Highlights
IntroductionThe digit ratio in females has been linked to a number of personality traits, such as psychoticism and neuroticism [7]
We argue that the current ambiguity regarding links between digit-ratio and visuo-spatial ability is the result of a lack of clarity between the component skills recruited in different visuo-spatial tasks
In general there were no significant differences between the measures with respect to sex with the exception of digit ratio, which in agreement with past studies, showed that male digit ratios were significantly lower than female digit ratios (unpaired t(28) = 3.62, p = 0.005, Bonferroni corrected, r = 0.5647)
Summary
The digit ratio in females has been linked to a number of personality traits, such as psychoticism and neuroticism [7] Together these studies suggest a difference in the way prenatal testosterone levels influence male and female behaviour. This distinction is not so clear-cut with studies showing a link between female digit ratio and spatial navigation ability [8] as well as the sense of direction [9], another finding shows links for both sexes for a line angle judgement task [10], with further studies including large samples, showing no links between either sexes’ digit ratio and cognitive task performance [3,7], and a meta analysis reiterating these conclusions [11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
