Fingers Point to Male Aggression?


So how do you compare?  

42 members have voted

  1. 1. So how do you compare?

    • Index shorter than ring and I'm aggressive.
      9
    • Index shorter than ring and I'm not aggressive
      17
    • Index longer/same as ring and I'm aggressive
      3
    • Index longer/same as ring and I'm not aggressive.
      13


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Fingers Point to Male Aggression

Fri Mar 25,11:47 PM ET

FRIDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Canadian researchers say they've found a way to help 'finger' men with physically aggressive personalities.

A University of Alberta study finds that measuring a man's index finger length relative to his ring finger length predicts his predisposition to being physically aggressive.

The shorter the index finger relative to the ring finger, the higher the amount of prenatal testosterone and the more likely the man will be physically aggressive, they researchers say.

In a prepared statement, study co-author Dr. Peter Hurd admitted he initially thought the finger-aggression link was "a pile of hooey," until he reviewed the data.

According to the researchers, experts have known for a hundred years that the index-to-ring finger length ratio of men differs considerably from that seen in women. And more recently, research has suggested that the length of men's fingers changes depending on their exposure to testosterone in the womb.

Now, finger length and physical aggression seem to be linked as well, at least in men. The Alberta team found no such link in women.

"More than anything, I think the findings reinforce and underlie that a large part of our personalities and our traits are determined while we're still in the womb," Hurd said.

The study, reported in the March issue of Biological Psychology, found no correlation between finger lengths and non-physical forms of aggression, such as verbal aggression or angry or hostile behavior. Hurd said he is continuing his research on physical aggression, however, by comparing hockey players' finger lengths to the number of penalty minutes they rack up in a given season.

In another study, to be published later this year, Hurd found that men with more "feminine" finger ratios tended to be more prone to depression.

He stressed that "finger lengths explain about 5 percent of the variation in these personality measures, so research like this won't allow you to draw conclusions about specific people. For example, you wouldn't want to screen people for certain jobs based on their finger lengths."

"But finger length can tell you a little bit about where personality comes from, and that's what we are continuing to explore," he said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...omaleaggression

Lets see how our fingers compare to our aggression! :D

Edited by neoufo51
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My ring fingers are significantly longer than my index fingers, but I'm not aggressive at all. I'm one of the most passive people you'll ever meet. Either I'm the exception, or this study is crap.

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My index is shorter than my ring finger by 2/3 of an inch  and I admit I am kind of aggressive.

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Seriously, what does this have to say about free will (one of my favourite subjects)? Chemicals present during gestation pre-dispose our agressiveness, therefore molding the decisions and actions we make as adults? But I have been told we were "given" free will to choose what we do?

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Seriously, what does this have to say about free will (one of my favourite subjects)?  Chemicals present during gestation pre-dispose our agressiveness, therefore molding the decisions and actions we make as adults?  But I have been told we were "given" free will to choose what we do?

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Well, don't take this as gospel just yet. I added a poll so we can test this for ourselves.

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Well, don't take this as gospel just yet. I added a poll so we can test this for ourselves.

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True but there are many many other things which cause pre-dispositions (besides "simple" genetics)...free will isn't quite as cut and dry as it is proclaimed to be.

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index fingers slightly longer than ring fingers and I am very much a pacifist.

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oooo, looking like the theory may be valid.

I don't think we'll see a lot of aggressive people here on RWI or Neowin for that matter.

Or maybe if I put this on General we'd find more aggressive people.

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Same length, about, perhaps the ring is a bit longer, very little.

I've had a short temper since I was a child. I'm calmer now, but I can go off in an instant if you trigger the wrong things and I have a lot more rage than most people.

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on my right hand (dominant), my ring finger is longer... ( about a cm)

on my left hand... my ring finger is SLIGHTLY ( a few mm ?)

and I am aggressive... sometimes ;)

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oooo, looking like the theory may be valid.

I don't think we'll see a lot of aggressive people here on RWI or Neowin for that matter.

Or maybe if I put this on General we'd find more aggressive people.

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Maybe all the agressive ones got banned from RWI during "the cleanup". :devil:

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