Sex role identity related to the ratio of second to fourth digit length in women.

Prenatal gonadal hormones have been implicated as important factors in the development of sex-role identity. The aim of the study reported here was to examine the relationship between adult sex-role preference and the second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D ratio) in healthy women. There is evidence that the ratio of the length of second and fourth digits associates negatively with prenatal testosterone and positively with prenatal oestrogen. In this study the 2D:4D ratio was measured on a sample of 46 female university students. The subjects completed the form of the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI). It was found that the lower 2D:4D ratios associated significantly with higher, masculinized bias scores in BSRI indicating that 2D:4D ratio predicts the female or male self-reported sex-role identity in females. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.