Digit ratio and faculty membership: Implications for the relationship between prenatal testosterone and academia
Digit ratio and faculty membership: Implications for the relationship between prenatal testosterone and academia
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DOI：
10.1348/000712605x85808
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发表时间：
2006-11-01
影响因子：
4
通讯作者：
Brosnan, Mark J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Brosnan, Mark J.
手指比（食指的长度除以无名指的长度）是产前睾丸激素暴露的指数。出生前的睾丸激素会减缓左脑的生长速度，同时促进右脑的生长。右脑处理与更好的视觉空间和数学能力有关，数字比率也是如此。因此，传统的视觉空间和数学能力的性别差异可以归因于产前睾酮暴露的差异，指数由性别二态模式的数字比例（女性= 1.00，男性= 0.98英国样本）。此外，手指比是视觉空间能力性别内差异的标志。本研究探讨了一个学术样本的数字比率。没有发现性别差异，科学系和社会科学系之间存在显着差异。男女社会科学家的比例与男性标准一致（0.98），而科学家的手指比例与女性标准一致（1.00）。这些结果进行了讨论，男性睾酮的正常范围较低，与最高的视觉空间能力。与生育能力和诵读困难的关系也被确定。
Digit ratio (length of index finger divided by length of ring finger) is an index of exposure to prenatal testosterone. Prenatal testosterone slows the growth rate of the left side of the brain while enhancing growth of the right side. Right hemisphere processing is associated with better visual-spatial and mathematical abilities, as is digit ratio. Thus, traditional sex differences in visual-spatial and mathematical abilities can be attributed to differences in exposure to prenatal testosterone, indexed by a sex dimorphic pattern in digit ratio (female = 1.00, male = 0.98 for UK samples). Additionally, the digit ratio is a marker for within-sex variance in visual-spatial ability. This study examines the digit ratio of an academic sample. No sex differences are found and there is a significant difference between the Science Faculty and Social Science Faculty. Social Scientists of both sexes have a ratio consistent with the male norm (0.98) whilst Scientists have a digit ratio consistent with the female norm (1.00). These results are discussed in terms of the lower normal range of male testosterone being associated with highest visual spatial abilities. Relationships with fertility and Dyslexia are also identified.