Risk-taking behavior, the second-to-fourth digit ratio and psychological features in a sample of cavers

Abstract

BackgroundThe risk-taking behavior is largely modulated by the subject’s history, its lifestyles, by the characteristics of the situations with which it is compared, and also by the effects of prenatal androgens. Thus, the personality of the single person is a significant predictor of such way of acting.MethodsThe present study aimed to explore the relationship between Digit Ratio Measurement (2D:4D) and personality factors capable to be good predictors for choosing highly risky activities, such as caving. Furthermore, our purpose was to investigate whether 2D:4D ratio is related to cavers’ affective states and to assess the personological and emotional features of 34 healthy cavers, aged between 24 and 71 years (M = 39.70, SD = 9.81).ResultsData analysis showed several significant correlations between 2D:4D and Deliberate Risk Taking (RTI) and Precautionary Behavior (RTI), confirming that 2D:4D is a reliable index able to predict risk-taking behaviors. Furthermore, data analysis showed that Conscientiousness and its sub-dimension Scrupulousness (BFQ-2) are recurrent among significant correlations; in particular, the latter reports negative correlations with many factors of POMS. Moreover, all participants seemed to have a good attitude to collaboration, in terms of goal-direct strategy, and an adequate management of negative affective states, useful to maintaining a good level of stress within the group. Finally, the BFQ-2 factor Openness to culture seemed to be a predominant feature in the cavers, and this feature could be considered as predictive in the choice of an activity, such as caving, which requires curiosity, perseverance and a great planning of cave exploration.

Emotional stability is related to 2D:4D and social desirability in women: Possible implications on subjective well-being and psychopathology

“…Therefore, our results indicate that lower 2D:4D is associated with lower emotional stability (higher neuroticism) in women, and consequently we presume that is also associated with higher prenatal testosterone exposure. These results are partially in disagreement with previous studies which found a relationship between 2D:4D and the neuroticism-emotional stability dimension but seem to be in the PLOS ONE opposite direction [28,29,35,[39][40][41][42]; or, conversely, have found no relationship between these variables [30][31][32][33][36][37][38]. In most of the previous studies neuroticism was measured through the Neo Five-Factor Inventory, and here we measured emotional stability through the BFQ.…”

“…On the other hand, although we did not find any significant association between 2D:4D and the other four dimensions and these results agree with several previous investigations, other studies have shown controversial results. For example, referring to agreeableness, some studies, like ours, have not found a significant association with 2D:4D [29,30,37,42], others have found a positive correlation [31,32,36] and others a negative correlation [28,33]. This inconsistency is another example that more research is needed in this field.…”

“…General disruptive behaviors such as aggression, hyperactivity and conduct problems have been linked to prenatal exposure to higher levels of testosterone, and to hyperactivity and conduct problems in preschool girls [73]. In the same direction, other research has shown that a low digit ratio is associated with anger, hostility, physical aggression (and verbal aggression approaching significance), total sensation seeking, thrill and adventure seeking [76], less precautionary behavior [36,37], and with risk taking in women [77]. This last observation is supported with data showing that in women, optimism might moderate the association between right 2D:4D and financial risk taking [78].…”

“…An internet study across 23 nations found a positive correlation between both 2D:4D and the cultural dimensions of uncertainty avoidance in both sexes and aggregate neuroticism only in men [ 35 ]. Two Italian investigations with the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) found a positive relationship with conscientiousness and agreeableness in a sample of skydivers [ 36 ], and a positive relationship with conscientiousness in a sample of cavers [ 37 ]. Recently, using the ten-item personality inventory a positive relationship have been found between the right 2D:4D and openness to new experiences and a negative one with disorganization and carelessness [ 38 ].…”

Prediction of state anxiety by machine learning applied to photoplethysmography data

“…Notably, the multivariate approach used provided a single dependent variable and multiple independent features. Finally, a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) ( Zweig & Campbell, 1993 ) analysis was performed to test the capability of the predicted SA form PPG features to discriminate high contingent SA as described by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) (threshold = 40) ( Rinella et al, 2019 ). It is worth to notice, that the novelty of this work does not rely on the specific statistical algorithm used (i.e., multivariate regression), but it is based on the employment of a multivariate algorithm for prediction of SA from several PPG features in a machine learning framework, which is a general field of applied statistics that uses multivariate approaches for prediction purposes ( Michie, Spiegelhalter & Taylor, 1994 ).…”