There is evidence in both males and females that digit ratio acts as a negative correlate of prenatal testosterone and a positive correlate of prenatal estrogen. Digit ratio is thought to be stable between childhood and adulthood and is determined in utero by about the 14th week (Garn, Burdi, Babler, & Stinson, 1975 Manning et al., 1998 Phelps, 1952). The ratio between second and fourth finger lengths (2D:4D) is known to be sexually dimorphic, with mean values being lower for males than for females (George, 1930 Manning, Barley, et al., 2000 Manning, Scutt, Wilson, & Lewis-Jones, 1998 Phelps, 1952). In summary, the associations between digit ratio and personality factors are weak but provide some further support for the claim that gender-related behaviour is affected by the amount of steroid hormones present during critical periods of prenatal development. The results follow previous studies reporting that 2D:4D was a stronger correlate of personality traits in females than in males. Male 2D:4D did not correlate significantly with any of the personality factors. Further, a significant negative association was found between females’ right hand digit ratio and agreeableness. Neuroticism showed a significant positive correlation with right hand digit ratio for the whole sample, and in females only for right hand 2D:4D. Only agreeableness showed a significant sex difference with females scoring higher. In this present study, we investigated associations between digit ratio and the ‘big-five’ personality factors (extraversion, neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness). There is accumulating evidence that 2D:4D is established early in development and is negatively related to prenatal testosterone and positively with prenatal estrogen. On average males demonstrate lower digit ratios than do females. The results were interpreted in terms of differential effects of prenatal and circulating testosterone, male facial shape being supposedly more dependent on foetal levels (reflected by 2D:4D ratio), whereas body odour and vocal characteristics could be more dependent on variation in adult circulating testosterone levels.Several studies have demonstrated that the ratio between the lengths of the second and fourth digits (2D:4D) is sexually dimorphic. However, 2D:4D and Dr-l did not predict voice and body odour masculinity or attractiveness.
Multivariate regression analyses showed that males' lower (more masculine) right 2D:4D and lower right-minus-left 2D:4D (Dr-l) were associated with a more attractive (and in some cases more symmetrical), but not more masculine, face. These stimuli were rated on attractiveness and masculinity scales by two groups of 49 and 35 females, approximately half of these in each sample using hormonal contraception.
Pictures of faces with a neutral expression, recordings of voices pronouncing vowels and axillary odour samples captured on cotton pads worn for 24 h were provided by 49 adult male donors. The present study extends the investigation to other phenotypic, hormone-related determinants of human attractiveness: voice and body odour. There is growing evidence that human second-to-fourth digit ratio (or 2D:4D) is related to facial features involved in attractiveness, mediated by in utero hormonal effects.
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