Research suggests that the ratio of second-to-fourth digit length (2D:4D) is a life-time stable proxy for perinatal steroid exposure. As such it has been linked to a number of adult developmental outcomes, including but not limited to risk-taking behavior, aggression, various dimensions of sexuality, psychological traits and disorders, physiologial differences, and health. In my talk I will give an overview of these recent findings. In addition I will report on research on the validity of 2D:4D as a proxy for perinatal steroid exposure and on the relationship between perinatal steroid exposure and adult hormone concentrations. If the stated association between 2D:4D and developmental outcomes exists, this has important implications also for social science research. Little is known, however, about the predictive power of 2D:4D for long-term life course outcomes, especially under simultaneous consideration of social context factors that social scientists usually examine and that are commonly included in longitudinal social surveys. I will argue that the implementation of finger-length measurements in nationally representative social surveys could allow researchers in various specializations of the social sciences to evaluate the explanatory value of finger-length ratios and to compare it against that of standard social science expalanations. Furthermore, it would allow scholars to investigate the interplay between hormones and social context in producing behavioral outcomes. I will illustrate the potential relevance with reference to two research projects of my own and conclude the talk with some technical remarks on the implentation of 2D:4D measures in social surveys.
Presented by:
Sebastian Schnettler (University of Konstanz)
Date & time:
April 30, 2012 3:00 pm
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