A study by scientists at the University of Bath found a relationship between finger length and a person’s intelligence.
A study prepared by scientists at the University of Bath, and published in the Science Daily, mention that it exists a relationship between the length of the fingers and a person’s intelligence.
To conduct the research, The experts compared the finger lengths of 75 children with their standardized assessment test (SAT) results. Among the results, a clear link was found between a child’s performance on arithmetic and language tests and the relative lengths between their index and ring finger.
Scientists believe that the cause of this would reside in the different levels of the hormones testosterone and estrogen, present in the uterus during pregnancy and the effect these hormones have on both brain development and finger length.
Previously, it had already been possible to identify, in other investigations, that children tend to obtain better scores on tests of math, while girls have better results in the writing, reading and verbal tests.
Why is having bad handwriting a sign of intelligence?
“It has been argued that testosterone promotes the development of areas of the brain that is often associated with spatial and mathematical skills “said Dr. Mark Brosnan, head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, who led the study.
Estrogen is believed to do the same in areas of the brain which is often associated with verbal ability ”. Interestingly, these hormones are also believed to play a role in the relative lengths of the index and ring fingers.
“We can use measurements from these fingers as a way to measure relative exposure to these two hormones in utero, as we have shown through this study, so we can also use this measurement to predict ability in key areas of numeracy and literacy ”, indicated the scientist.
The development of the research
To reach these conclusions, the experts made photocopies of the palms of the children’s hands and then they measured the length of their index finger and ring finger of both hands with calipers, an accuracy of 0.01 mm. The length of the index finger was then divided by that of the ring finger to calculate the child’s digit ratio.
They then compared this relationship with the children’s SAT results, finding that a smaller proportion (that is, a longer ring finger and therefore a higher prenatal exposure to testosterone) meant a greater difference between ability in math and literacy, which contributes to higher math skills in relation to reading and speaking.
From whom is intelligence inherited?
Next, the performance of boys and girls was analyzed separately. At that time the scientists found a clear relationship between high prenatal testosterone exposure, as measured by the digit ratio, and higher arithmetic scores in men.
According to the researchers, this suggests that finger length measurements could help predict how well the children will be in math and literacy.
The test that reveals your type of intelligence
“We are not suggesting that finger length measurements could replace SAT tests,” Brosnan said. But “the relationship of the length of the fingers offers us an interesting vision of our innate abilities in key cognitive areas ”. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
