Citation

Butovskaya M, Burkova V, Karelin D, Filatova V. Early Hum. Dev. 2019; 137: e104823.

Affiliation

Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2019.07.006

PMID

31330462

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Two recent meta-analyses have suggested the association between digit ratio (2D:4D) and aggression is weak. This conclusion has been criticised because the meta-analyses conflate forms of aggression that show strong sex differences with those that do not, and most studies have considered post-pubertal participants. AIMS: We test the influence of 2D:4D and ethnicity in the expression of aggression in children and adolescents in four ethnic groups of European and African origin. STUDY DESIGN: Buss and Perry aggression questionnaire. Direct measurement of the 2nd and 4th digits. SUBJECTS: 1296 children and adolescents from Tanzania and Russia from 4 ethnic groups - Datoga, Meru, Russians, Tatars.

RESULTS: There were ethnic and gender differences in ratings on aggression with boys consistently reporting more physical aggression. In all four samples right 2D:4D was significantly lower in boys, compared to girls. With regard to our total sample of boys, the right 2D:4D was significantly and negatively associated with self-ratings on physical aggression, but no association was found for left 2D:4D. No associations between 2D:4D and physical aggression were found for girls. Hostility was negatively correlated with 2D:4D for boys, and anger was positively correlated with 2D:4D in girls.

CONCLUSION: Sex differences were strongest for right 2D:4D (boysgirls). Right 2D:4D was negatively related to physical aggression in boys only, suggesting possible relationship to prenatal androgenization.

Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

Keywords

2D:4D ratio; Aggression; Boys and girls; Children and adolescents; Cross-cultural differences; Russia; Tanzania; Violence