Index and Ring Fingers

Hhhm. This may explain why I was never actually very good at any sports (although I enjoyed many of them).

The findings, by researchers at King’s College London, add to
growing evidence that shows the relative lengths of the two fingers can
offer important clues to the biological influences that shape an
individual’s body and mind.

On a typical female hand, the index finger is longer than the
ring finger or about the same size, whereas men usually have a longer
ring finger. This is widely thought to reflect differences in the
body’s exposure and response to the male hormone testosterone.

Such an effect could explain why the King’s team found that as
women’s sporting achievements increased, so did the average length of
their ring fingers in relation to their index fingers.

Testosterone, which is found in female as well as male bodies,
is linked to greater aggression and competitiveness, bigger and
stronger muscles and increased spatial reasoning ability, which may be
important in ball sports such as tennis.

As, on a quick evaluation, my index finger is longer than my ring finger, we would seem to have at least one anecdotal confirmation of the theory. Such a finger arrangement should mean that I am (or was, in the years when physically capable) crap at sports. I was.

Another explanation is possible of course. Perhaps this explains why I am so in touch with my feminine side?

In

5 responses

  1. Just to screw up the hypothesis, my ring finger is significantly longer than my index finger and I’m confident that I am at least as rubbish as you at ball sports!
    I’ve heard of this before and, whilst I can believe the results are statistically significant, I would suggest it is a fairly poor predictor of sporting prowess or spatial reasoning ability. Personally, I would also say that I have very good spatial reasoning, but poor hand-eye coordination; which I would submit are different skills.

  2. The point from which you measure the fingers in question can have a great bearing as to which is longer – afaik the correct place to start measuring from is the lowest crease on the finger where it meets the hand, on the inside of the palm. Just looking at your hand or using a ruler on the top side gives erroneous results – I suggest that you-all try again.

  3. Using that method, I find my ring finger is about a centimetre longer than my index finger. I am clearly flushed with testosterone and extremely manly. When I get in touch with my female side I’ll give her a big hug (yeah, I know, Spinal Tap). Per cuthhyra — I wasn’t exactly crap at sport in school, simply militantly opposed to involving myself in it. I could catch a cricket ball perfectly well. I just didn’t see why I should.

  4. Is there any connection with this, I wonder?
    Yubitsume, or finger-cutting, is a ritual form of penance or apology traditionally practised by Yakuza (gangsters) in Japan.
    “Upon a first offense, the transgressor must cut off the tip of his left pinky finger and hand the severed portion to his boss. Sometimes an underboss may do this penance to the oyabun if he wants to spare a member of his own gang from further retaliation.
    “Its origin stems from the traditional way of holding a Japanese sword. The bottom three fingers of each hand are used to grip the sword tightly, with the thumb and index fingers slightly loose. The removal of digits starting with the little finger moving up the hand to the index finger progressively weakens a person’s sword grip. The idea is that a person with a weak sword grip then has to rely more on the group for protection.”
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakuza

  5. ny_lm Avatar
    ny_lm

    This has always been a fascinating subject to me. I am a woman with a much longer ring finger than index finger. Have always been very good at sports & spatial reasoning, but I will NEVER have a promising career in maths (for that matter the basics are where I stop). I have always been able to rival most of my male counterparts in sports and spatial games, but my verbal skills have always much more advanced than my logic/math skills–SAT score will certainly prove that (which completely goes against the current scientific theories of the ratio that my fingers display). I make my living in the arts (theatre and performing) where language/verbal skills are most necessary, but I also draw and paint which is where I can see the spatial reasoning advantages. Anyhow, I do see the results of the scientific findings in myself in many ways, but just can’t explain the switch when it comes to verbal/logic. Suppose that part enters that grey area of the “mystery of being human”. Great blog entry, thanks!

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