Prenatal testosterone, visual-spatial memory, and numerical skills in young children

Bull, Rebecca; Davidson, Wendy Anne; Nordmann, Emily

doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2009.12.002

Cited by 30 publications

(28 citation statements)

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“…Sexual dimorphism of 2D:4D is evident in humans as early as the 14th week of gestation and is afterward stable through adulthood (Malas et al, 2006; Galis et al, 2010; but see Trivers et al, 2006). The second‐to‐fourth digit length ratio is also considered an indicator trait, because it correlates with numerous traits, such as sexual orientation (Grimbos et al, 2010), susceptibility to disease (Manning and Bundred, 2000; Devine et al, 2010; Gooding et al, 2010), sports performance (Bennett et al, 2010; Voracek et al, 2010), cognitive drive (Wakabayashi and Nakazawa, 2010), probability of developing eating disorders (Smith et al, 2010), and visual–spatial memory and numerical skills (Bull et al, 2010), among other characteristics and conditions (Voracek and Loibl, 2009) that are also likely influenced by prenatal hormones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Second‐to‐Fourth Digit Length Ratios (2D:4D) in Two Species of Frogs and Two Species of Lizards at La Selva, Costa Rica

DiRenzo

Stynoski

2012

The Anatomical Record

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It is now well documented that androgen and estrogen signaling during early development cause a sexual dimorphism in second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D). It is also well documented that males of mammalian species have a smaller 2D:4D than females. Although there are discrepancies among 2D:4D studies in birds, the consensus is that birds exhibit the opposite pattern with males having a larger 2D:4D than females. The literature currently lacks substantial information regarding the phylogenetic pattern of this trait in amphibians and reptiles. In this study, we examined 2D:4D in two species of frogs (Oophaga pumilio and Craugastor bransfordii) and two species of lizards (Anolis humilis and Anolis limifrons) to determine the existence and the pattern of the sexual dimorphism. Male O. pumilio and C. bransfordii displayed larger 2D:4D than females in at least one of their two forelimbs. Male A. humilis had larger 2D:4D than females in both hindlimbs, but smaller 2D:4D than females in both forelimbs. Male A. limifrons may also have smaller 2D:4D than females in the right forelimb. Finally, digit ratios were sometimes positively related to body length, suggesting allometric growth. Overall, our results support the existence of the 2D:4D sexual dimorphism in amphibians and lizards and add to the knowledge of 2D:4D trait patterning among tetrapods. Anat Rec, 295:597-603, 2012. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Second‐to‐Fourth Digit Length Ratios (2D:4D) in Two Species of Frogs and Two Species of Lizards at La Selva, Costa Rica

DiRenzo

Stynoski

2012

The Anatomical Record

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“…Lack of gender differences in the present study was in concurrence with the observations of Bull et al in children. [21] Non-significant differences in 2D:4D ratios between sexes have also been reported in adults. [22] Digit ratio is sexually dimorphic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

2D:4D ratio and its association with examination scores and cognitive abilities in adolescent students - A cross-sectional study

Selvaraj¹,

Prathibha²,

Dharmalingam³

2017

Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol

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Background: 2D:4D ratio or the ratio of lengths of 2 nd (index finger) and 4 th (ring finger), a proxy marker for prenatal testosterone exposure, is known to be sexually dimorphic with males having lower values. Low digit ratio is associated with certain characteristics such as aggression in males and assertiveness in females. Similarly, high digit ratio in males is associated with increased sperm counts, increased risk for heart disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome, depression, and anxiety. Aims and Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to measure 2D:4D ratios of adolescent students and look for associations between 2D:4D ratios and their Higher Secondary School Board examination scores and their cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, spatial ability, and intelligence. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on 70 adolescents of 18-19 years age group pursuing their education in the campus of Saveetha University. The 2D:4D ratio was measured from the midpoint of bottom crease where the finger joins the hand to the tip of the finger using digital Vernier calipers. Selected few domains of cognition were evaluated using the tests for free and placement recall, category fluency tests, and visual N-back tests. Correlation between 2D:4D ratio and Higher Secondary Board examination scores and mean cognition test scores were tested using Pearson's correlation test. Comparison of test scores between genders and low scorers versus normal scorers was performed using student t-test. Results: The mean 2D:4D ratio of the study population was 0.97 ± 0.034. The mean 2D:4D ratio of males (0.97 ± 0.32) was not significantly different from that of females (0.98 ± 0.035). There was no significant correlation between higher secondary scores and the 2D:4D ratio. Significant relationships with 2D:4D ratios and domains of cognition tested (free and placement recall, category fluency, and working memory) were not observed. Existing literature also revealed many inconsistencies within the pattern of associations between 2D:4D digit ratio and cognitive abilities. Conclusion: The future studies in a larger population with more and different tests for assessment of cognition would help us in ascertaining the role of 2D:4D ratio as a proxy marker for prenatal androgen exposure.

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“…The results of studies in the field of cognitive psychology demonstrate that academic achievement correlates with cognitive characteristics such as intelligence (Deary et al, 2007;Verbitskaya et al, 2017), various aspects of the number sense (Halberda, Mazzocco, Feigenson, 2008;Tikhomirova et al, 2015a;Tosto et al, 2014), spatial memory (Bull, Davidson, Nordmann, 2010;Tikhomirova, 2017) and processing speed (Semmes, Davison, Close, 2011;Tikhomirova et al, 2015b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive Predictors Of Academic Achievement At High School Age: Cross-Cultural Study

Malykh

2017

The European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences

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The aim of the study is to investigate the role of cognitive characteristics (processing speed, working memory and sense of number) and general (nonverbal intelligence) in the individual differences in academic achievement on the samples of high school children from Russia and Kyrgyzstan. These countries are characterized, on the one hand, by similarities in the organization of the national education system, and, on the other hand, differences in socioeconomic status and effectiveness of public education.The study involved 514 schoolchildren at Grades 10 & 11 from two state educational institutions. The samples were balanced by the educational microenvironment. The Russian sample was represented by 205 pupils from 15.8 to 18.8 years (41.9% of boys). The Kyrgyz sample included 309 schoolchildren from 15.3 to 18.8 years (36.4% of boys). It is shown that both in Russia and in Kyrgyzstan, the best model fit was for the speed of information processing as a key predictor of intelligence, working memory and a number sense, which in turn explained variation in the academic achievement. At the same time, we found cross-cultural differences in the interrelationships between certain cognitive development factors and academic achievement. Thus, in less favorable socioeconomic conditions, the greatest functional weight was obtained for the correlation between the speed of processing information and academic achievement through working memory and nonverbal intelligence. On the contrary, under more favorable conditions, the contribution of cognitive characteristics to the development of individual differences in academic achievement was not significant.

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Prenatal testosterone, visual-spatial memory, and numerical skills in young children

Cited by 30 publications

References 53 publications

Patterns of Second‐to‐Fourth Digit Length Ratios (2D:4D) in Two Species of Frogs and Two Species of Lizards at La Selva, Costa Rica

Patterns of Second‐to‐Fourth Digit Length Ratios (2D:4D) in Two Species of Frogs and Two Species of Lizards at La Selva, Costa Rica

2D:4D ratio and its association with examination scores and cognitive abilities in adolescent students - A cross-sectional study

Cognitive Predictors Of Academic Achievement At High School Age: Cross-Cultural Study

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