Back to Search
Start Over
Lack of correlation between digit ratio (2D:4D) and Baron-Cohen’s “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test, empathy, systemising, and autism-spectrum quotients in a general population sample
- Source :
-
Personality & Individual Differences . Dec2006, Vol. 41 Issue 8, p1481-1491. 11p. - Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- Abstract: The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is sexually differentiated and is a likely biomarker for the organisational (permanent) effects of prenatal testosterone on the human brain. Recent research has highlighted a possible role of prenatal testosterone levels in both the etiology of autism-spectrum disorders and in sex and individual differences in cognitive styles of the normal mind (Baron-Cohen’s Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism and Empathising/Systemising Theory). Importantly, autistic children present lower (hypermasculinised) 2D:4D than healthy controls. Based on these accounts, we investigated the relation of 2D:4D with Baron-Cohen’s measures of empathising (“Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test, RMET; Empathy Quotient, EQ), systemising (Systemising Quotient, SQ), and autistic-like traits (Autism-Spectrum Quotient, AQ) in the general population (N =423 Austrian adults). Whereas sex differences into the expected direction and of expected size were obtained for all variables and internal scale consistencies tallied to retrievable reference values, 2D:4D was unrelated to RMET, EQ, SQ, and AQ scores. Candidate explanations for this lack of correlation might be possible developmental timing differences in the expression of 2D:4D and empathising/systemising, qualitative (as opposed to quantitative) functional differences between the normal and the autistic mind, or the suboptimal psychometric properties of the measures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Subjects :
- *AUTISM
*TESTOSTERONE
*DEVELOPMENTAL disabilities
SEX differences (Biology)
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 01918869
- Volume :
- 41
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Personality & Individual Differences
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22471791
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.06.009