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Social Psychology of Fingers: The Relationship between 2D:4D Ratio and Social Behaviors

Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology / Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology, (P)1229-0653;
2014, v.28 no.4, pp.1-21
https://doi.org/10.21193/kjspp.2014.28.4.001


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Abstract

Recently, there has been an increased interest in the relationship between 2D:4D ratio (second-to-fourth digit ratio) and social behaviors. It is because 2D:4D can be used to explore a potential biological basis (the effect of prenatal testosterone) of individual differences in social behavior. Prenatal testosterone has organizational effects on brain development and finger length pattern, as well as permanent influence on behavior in later life. Low 2D:4D indicates high level of testosterone relative to estrogen in utero. If prenatal testosterone plays an important role in early brain development, digit ratio and later behavior, social behavior should be related to 2D:4D. In addition, if prenatal testosterone shapes the neural networks underlying social behaviors, these networks may be able to be activated by specific stimuli (e.g., social threat, testosterone administration) that provoke testosterone-dependent behaviors, and social behaviors expressed in response to those stimuli may be modulated by 2D:4D. Therefore, this review outlines research findings of the relationship between 2D:4D and social behaviors (e.g., social cooperation, risk taking, impulsivity, and aggression) using economic games (e.g., Trust game, Public goods game, Ultimatum game, etc) with a main focus on the role of 2D:4D dynamics in modulating social behaviors in response to certain stimuli. Studies have shown that 2D:4D affects on social decision making. Furthermore, prenatal testosterone may preprogram the neural mechanisms underlying social behaviors, and it may selectively modifies neural processing to facilitate or inhibit social behaviors in response to environmental or physiological cues.

keywords
2D:4D, 테스토스테론, 사회적 협력, 사회적 위협, 경제게임, 2D:4D, testosterone, social cooperation, social threat, economic game

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