Finger Ratios and Fidelity In Both Genders

New research examining individual attitudes relating to non-committed sex versus committed sexuality suggest that the length of the ring finger compared to the index finger is a strong predictor of tendencies to ‘stay’ or ‘stray’ in both men and women.

A longer ring finger is associated with greater exposure to testosterone in the womb.

Professor John Manning of Northumbria University’s Department of Psychology has studied finger ratio data for nearly 20 years and believes this is the first study to suggest that both men and women may have alternative mating strategies. Women were not included in earlier studies examining finger lengths and promiscuity.

Manning worked with Dr Rafael Wlodarski and Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford Universities Department of Experimental Psychology in his newest study.

The study conducted at UK’s Northembria and Oxford Universities questioned 575 North American and British people on the views of sociosexuality. They then measured photocopies of the right hands of 1,314 Brits.

Gender Consistency In Results

Researchers found that both men and women fell into one of two groups — those with restricted sexual attitudes and life patterns and those with unrestricted attitudes and lifestyles. Individuals with restricted patterns preferred exclusive, emotionally-committed relationships with sexual partners, while the unrestricted groups expressed little need for emotional commitment.

The results of the sociosexuality questionnaire indicated that 57% of men favored the unrestricted sexuality lifestyle, compared to 47% among women. The results of hand measuring resulted in 62% of men having a ring finger longer than the index finger. Half of women — 50% — also had a longer ring finger.

The researchers remind us that cultural factors can modify predetermined genetic traits, but their importance as a predictor of mating behavior should not be underestimated. Finger ratios as they relate to prenatal testosterone exposure can also indicate other conditions including fertility, lung and heart functioning and sports performance.

Finger Ratios and Women Entrepreneurs

In a fascinating study Italian economists Aldo Rustichini and Luigi Guiso hired 200 assistants to interview over two thousand Italian men and women small-business owners. In this study, the hands of the entrepreneurs were photographed, allowing for direct comparison of interview responses and ring finger/index finger ratios.