Title of article :
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
Author/Authors :
Martin Voracek، نويسنده , , Stefan G. Dressler، نويسنده ,
Issue Information :
روزنامه با شماره پیاپی سال 2006
Pages :
11
From page :
1481
To page :
1491
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.
Keywords :
Digit ratio (2D:4D) , Prenatal testosterone , Empathising , Systemising , Autism phenotype , Sex differences
Journal title :
Personality and Individual Differences
Serial Year :
2006
Journal title :
Personality and Individual Differences
Record number :
458122
Link To Document :
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