The Low 2D:4D ratio makes adults suspicious

The Low 2D:4D ratio makes adults suspicious.

The study: "Low second-to-fourth digit ratio predicts indiscriminate social suspicion, not improved trustworthiness detection" appears on 26thFebruary, 2013 in the "Proceedings" of the Royal Society (DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0037 . - when online)

The amount of testosterone, which would collect a baby in the womb, determines the length ratio between index and ring finger - but not only that, but apparently also some behaviors. At least, French researchers report that people were suspicious as adults after high doses of the hormone in the womb. The shorter the index finger (2D), the smaller the aspect ratio, the higher and the dose of testosterone in the womb. The link is:

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?fulltext=trust&sortspec=date&submit=Submit&andorexactfulltext=phrase

Abstract from the above link goes like this:

“Testosterone administration appears to make individuals less trusting, and this effect has been interpreted as an adaptive adjustment of social suspicion, that improved the accuracy of trusting decisions. Here, we consider another possibility, namely that testosterone increases the subjective cost of being duped, decreasing the propensity to trust without improving the accuracy of trusting decisions. In line with this hypothesis, we show that second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D: 4D, a proxy for effects of testosterone in the foetus) correlates with the propensity to trust, but not with the accuracy of trusting decisions. Trust game players (n = 144) trusted less when they had lower 2D: 4D (high prenatal testosterone), but their ability to detect the strategy of other players was constant (and better than chance) across all levels of digit ratio. Our results suggest that early prenatal organizing effects of testosterone in the foetus might impair rather than boost economic outcomes, by promoting indiscriminate social suspicion.”

Parender Sethi

Parender wrote:The Low 2D:4D ratio makes adults suspicious.

The study: "Low second-to-fourth digit ratio predicts indiscriminate social suspicion, not improved trustworthiness detection" appears on 26thFebruary, 2013 in the "Proceedings" of the Royal Society (DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0037 . - when online)

The amount of testosterone, which would collect a baby in the womb, determines the length ratio between index and ring finger - but not only that, but apparently also some behaviors. At least, French researchers report that people were suspicious as adults after high doses of the hormone in the womb. The shorter the index finger (2D), the smaller the aspect ratio, the higher and the dose of testosterone in the womb. The link is:

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/search?fulltext=trust&sortspec=date&submit=Submit&andorexactfulltext=phrase

Abstract from the above link goes like this:

“Testosterone administration appears to make individuals less trusting, and this effect has been interpreted as an adaptive adjustment of social suspicion, that improved the accuracy of trusting decisions. Here, we consider another possibility, namely that testosterone increases the subjective cost of being duped, decreasing the propensity to trust without improving the accuracy of trusting decisions. In line with this hypothesis, we show that second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D: 4D, a proxy for effects of testosterone in the foetus) correlates with the propensity to trust, but not with the accuracy of trusting decisions. Trust game players (n = 144) trusted less when they had lower 2D: 4D (high prenatal testosterone), but their ability to detect the strategy of other players was constant (and better than chance) across all levels of digit ratio. Our results suggest that early prenatal organizing effects of testosterone in the foetus might impair rather than boost economic outcomes, by promoting indiscriminate social suspicion.”

Parender Sethi

Thanks for sharing this article! I wish it didn't cost $25 to read it! I like this statement:

" Here, we consider another possibility, namely that testosterone increases the subjective cost of being duped, decreasing the propensity to trust without improving the accuracy of trusting decisions."