Digit Ratio (2D:4D) and Behavioral Responses to Everyday Life and Workplace-Related Interpersonal Conflict

Relationships of second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) versus absolute finger length, two putative markers for prenatal vs. pubertal-adolescent testosterone exposure, with specific behavioral responses to interpersonal conflict, as assessed with the Conflict Dynamics Profile (CDP; Davis, Capobianco, & Kraus, 2004), were examined in an adult community sample of 132 men and women. Paralleling related findings for specific types of aggression (namely, reactive and indirect, i.e., social/relational aggression), results showed analogous sex differences for conflict-related behaviors. Specifically, women scored significantly higher than men on the CDP Hot Buttons component, assessing upset in response to workplace-related conflict elicited by problematic behavior of workmates. Among women (but not men), higher Hot Button scores corresponded significantly to higher prenatal testosterone (indexed by lower 2D:4D). Extending previous evidence for associations between 2D:4D and aggression, this suggests possible contributions of prenatal sex-hormonal masculinization to within-sex individual variation in specific types of conflict-related behavior.

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Digit Ratios (2D:4D and other) and Relative Thumb Length: A Test of Developmental Stability

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.105.1.143-152 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 105 (1) ◽

pp. 143-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Martin Voracek ◽

Denise Offenmuller

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Developmental Stability ◽

Digit Ratio ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Finger Length ◽

Digit Ratios ◽

Fourth Digit ◽

Prenatal Androgens ◽

Length Measurements

Sex and side differences in relative thumb length of children and adolescents have been reported by prior researchers. These findings mirror those reported for the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), a likely biomarker for the organizational (permanent) effects of prenatal androgens on the human brain and body. The present study investigated relative thumb length, in particular, its associations with all possible digit ratios (2D:3D, 2D:4D, 2D:5D, 3D:4D, 3D:5D, and 4D:5D), in a sample of young adults (60 men and 64 women). Relative thumb length was less precisely measurable than direct or image-based finger-length measurements, as used in digit ratio research. There were no significant sex or side differences in relative thumb length. Contrary to expectation, thumb size was not positively correlated with any digit ratios. Relative thumb length appears to be developmentally unstable (decreases during childhood and adolescence). Additional findings, such as the magnitude ranking of sex differences in digit ratios and the comparability of direct versus image-based finger-length measurements, are also discussed.

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Fluid Intelligence Moderates the Link Between Psychopathy and Aggression Differently for Men and Women

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520943718 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088626052094371

Author(s):

Nicholas D. Thomson ◽

Salpi Kevorkian ◽

Kiril Bozgunov ◽

Elena Psederska ◽

Michel Aboutanos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Community Sample ◽

Indirect Aggression ◽

Men And Women ◽

Psychopathy Checklist ◽

Aggression Questionnaire ◽

Raven's Progressive Matrices ◽

Lower Intelligence ◽

Meaningful Role

Research on sex differences in the association of psychopathy with fluid intelligence is limited, and it remains unknown if fluid intelligence plays a meaningful role in explaining the psychopathy–aggression link for men and women. The present study aimed to test for sex differences in the relation between the four-facet model of psychopathy and intelligence, and to assess whether fluid intelligence moderates the link between psychopathy and aggression. In a community sample of men ( n = 356) and women ( n = 196), we assessed psychopathy using the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV), fluid intelligence using the Raven’s Progressive Matrices, and types of aggression using the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Hierarchical regressions showed that the psychopathy lifestyle facet was negatively associated with intelligence and there were no sex differences. Our analyses for types of aggression revealed sex differences and similarities. For both men and women, total AQ scores were predicted by higher antisocial facet scores. Lower intelligence moderated the link between higher antisocial facet scores and aggression in men, but not for women. Physical aggression in women was associated with higher interpersonal, affective, and antisocial facet scores, whereas for men, it was only associated with higher antisocial facet scores. Verbal and indirect aggression were associated with higher intelligence in both men and women. For men only, higher antisocial facet scores were associated with verbal and indirect aggression. Higher intelligence moderated the link between the lifestyle facet and indirect aggression for women, whereas for men, it moderated the link between the affective facet and indirect aggression. This study further highlights sex differences in mechanisms of psychopathy-related aggression, which need to be considered in the development of violence interventions and risk assessment.

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Differential Placing of Flexion Creases Contributes to Sex Differences in the Second-to-Fourth Digit Ratio (2D:4D)

Frontiers in Endocrinology ◽

10.3389/fendo.2019.00537 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sanjay Kumar ◽

Martin Voracek ◽

Maharaj Singh

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Digit Ratio ◽

Fourth Digit

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Physical Abuse Explains Sex Differences in the Link Between Psychopathy and Aggression

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260519865956 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 088626051986595 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nicholas D. Thomson ◽

Kiril Bozgunov ◽

Elena Psederska ◽

Michel Aboutanos ◽

Georgi Vasilev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Physical Abuse ◽

Community Sample ◽

Severity Index ◽

Addiction Severity Index ◽

Self Report ◽

Indirect Aggression ◽

Women Studies ◽

Men And Women

Psychopathy has long been associated with aggression. However, few studies have looked at differences between men and women. Studies that do exist demonstrate that psychopathy differentially relates to aggression in men and women and indicate that environmental factors may play a significant role in influencing these associations. A key environmental factor is a history of lifetime physical abuse (LPA), which has been linked to aggressive behavior in both men and women. The aim of the present study was to test if psychopathy differentially predicted physical, verbal, and indirect aggression in men and women, and if these associations were moderated by LPA. In a large community sample of men ( n = 369) and women ( n = 204), we assessed the 4-facet model of psychopathy (Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle, Antisocial) with the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version, LPA with the Addiction Severity Index, and self-report aggression with the Aggression Questionnaire. Results revealed sex differences and similarities. Physical aggression was associated with the affective facet of psychopathy in both men and women, though in different directions based on the moderating effects of LPA. Verbal aggression was associated with higher antisocial facet scores and LPA for men and not women. Finally, indirect aggression was associated with the antisocial facet of psychopathy for men, and the interpersonal facet for women, and these associations were not moderated by LPA. In women, low antisocial facet scores and no LPA were found to be protective for indirect aggression. These results show that LPA and psychopathy generally increase the risk of aggression, but the interaction between LPA and psychopathy differentiates the risk of aggression forms for men and women. These sex differences highlight the need for female-responsive interventions to target sex-specific risk factors for aggressive behavior.

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The Japanese State-Trait Anxiety Inventory: Age and Sex Differences

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1989.69.2.611 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 69 (2) ◽

pp. 611-617 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

Katsuharu Nakazato ◽

Yoshiko Shimonaka

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

Community Sample ◽

Age Groups ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Differential Association ◽

State Trait Anxiety Inventory ◽

Men And Women ◽

Development Of Anxiety ◽

Age And Sex

Purpose of the present study was to investigate scores on anxiety among adults of different ages. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered to a representative community sample of 1,234 men and women whose ages ranged from 25 to 92 yr. Anxiety declined linearly over the series of age groups. A sex difference was also observed on trait anxiety; women showed higher anxiety than men. Occupation was associated with anxiety for men but with education for women. Possible development of anxiety and differential association of demographic variables with anxiety between sexes were discussed in relation to personality.

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Sex differences in large conducting airway anatomy

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00440.2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 125 (3) ◽

pp. 960-965 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Paolo B. Dominelli ◽

Juan G. Ripoll ◽

Troy J. Cross ◽

Sarah E. Baker ◽

Chad C. Wiggins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Main Bronchus ◽

Lower Lobe ◽

Left Lower Lobe ◽

Smoking History ◽

Men And Women ◽

Previous Evidence ◽

Healthy Women ◽

Luminal Area ◽

Conducting Airways

Airway luminal area is the major determinant of resistance to airflow in the tracheobronchial tree. Women may have smaller central conducting airways than men; however, previous evidence is confounded by an indirect assessment of airway geometry and by subjects with prior smoking history. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sex on airway size in healthy nonsmokers. Using low-dose high-resolution computed tomography, we retrospectively assessed airway luminal area in healthy men ( n = 51) and women ( n = 73) of varying ages (19–86 yr). Subjects with a positive smoking history, cardiopulmonary disease, or a body mass index > 40 kg/m2 were excluded. Luminal areas of the trachea, right and left main bronchus, bronchus intermediate, left and right upper lobes, and the left lower lobe were analyzed at three discrete points. The luminal areas of the conducting airways were ~26%–35% smaller in women. The trachea had the largest differences in luminal area between men and women (298 ± 47 vs. 195 ± 28 mm2 or 35% smaller for men and women, respectively), whereas the left lower lobe had the smallest differences (57 ± 15 vs. 42 ± 9 mm2 or 26% smaller for men and women, respectively). When a subset of subjects was matched for height, the sex differences in airway luminal area persisted, with women being ~20%–30% smaller. With all subjects, there were modest relationships between height and airway luminal area ( r = 0.73–0.53, P < 0.05). Although there was considerable overlap between sexes, the luminal areas of the large conducting airways were smaller in healthy women than in men. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previous evidence for sex differences in airway size has been confounded by indirect measures and/or cohorts with significant smoking histories or pathologies. We found that central airways in healthy women were significantly smaller (~26%–35%) than men. The significant sex-difference in airway size was attenuated (20%–30% smaller) but preserved in a subset of subjects matched for height. Over a range of ages, healthy women have smaller central airways than men.

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Investigating sex differences in psychological predictors of snack intake among a large representative sample

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s136898001500097x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 625-632 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Marieke A Adriaanse ◽

Catharine Evers ◽

Aukje AC Verhoeven ◽

Denise TD de Ridder

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Emotional Eating ◽

Community Sample ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Psychological Variables ◽

Men And Women ◽

Health Related ◽

Snack Consumption ◽

Large Representative

AbstractObjectiveIt is often assumed that there are substantial sex differences in eating behaviour (e.g. women are more likely to be dieters or emotional eaters than men). The present study investigates this assumption in a large representative community sample while incorporating a comprehensive set of psychological eating-related variables.DesignA community sample was employed to: (i) determine sex differences in (un)healthy snack consumption and psychological eating-related variables (e.g. emotional eating, intention to eat healthily); (ii) examine whether sex predicts energy intake from (un)healthy snacks over and above psychological variables; and (iii) investigate the relationship between psychological variables and snack intake for men and women separately. Snack consumption was assessed with a 7d snack diary; the psychological eating-related variables with questionnaires.SettingParticipants were members of an Internet survey panel that is based on a true probability sample of households in the Netherlands.SubjectsMen and women (n 1292; 45 % male), with a mean age of 51·23 (sd 16·78) years and a mean BMI of 25·62 (sd 4·75) kg/m2.ResultsResults revealed that women consumed more healthy and less unhealthy snacks than men and they scored higher than men on emotional and restrained eating. Women also more often reported appearance and health-related concerns about their eating behaviour, but men and women did not differ with regard to external eating or their intentions to eat more healthily. The relationships between psychological eating-related variables and snack intake were similar for men and women, indicating that snack intake is predicted by the same variables for men and women.ConclusionsIt is concluded that some small sex differences in psychological eating-related variables exist, but based on the present data there is no need for interventions aimed at promoting healthy eating to target different predictors according to sex.

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