What physiological sign indicates a potential psychopath is in front of you: look at the hands
People with a longer ring finger than their index finger are more likely to have psychopathic traits, a study has found.
Researchers from the Charles-Le Moyne Research Center in Quebec say the results suggest that psychopathy may have "biological roots," writes dailymail.co.uk.
Read also: Three signs of a futile relationship: what to look out for
In the study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, researchers examined the hands of 80 participants - 44 with a clinical diagnosis of amphetamine use disorder (AUD), antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) or both, and 36 healthy control subjects.
The researchers performed detailed scans of the participants' right hands and administered several psychological assessments, including one designed to test for types of the dark triad.
Higher scores on these tests indicated that the subjects had higher levels of psychopathic and antisocial traits.
The results revealed a clear link between a lower 2D:4D ratio (ring finger length than index finger length) and antisocial traits, as well as higher scores on the dark triad personality tests.
If you want to know if you have psychopathic traits, here's how you can measure your 2D:4D ratio:
- Straighten your arm and look at your palm.
- At the base of your index finger and ring finger, there are likely to be creases. Your index finger will likely have one crease and your ring finger will have a band of creases.
- Choose the crease closest to your palm and pick a point on the crease in the middle of the base of your finger. Mark it with a pen.
- Measure it from the mark to the tip of the finger. Then repeat the procedure for the other finger.
- If the ratio of the length of the two fingers is less than 0.9, you are likely to have lower testosterone levels and higher estrogen levels, which may be associated with psychopathic traits.
However, it is important to note that the 2D:4D ratio is not a reliable indicator of psychopathy. It only indicates a possible link between the two factors.
The researchers also caution that a low 2D:4D ratio should not be seen as an irreversible fate for a person.
"It is important to realize that finger length ratio as a proxy for the specific effects of intrauterine sex steroids should not be understood as an irrevocable fate of the individual," said Serge Brand, lead researcher of the paper.
According to him, there are many other factors that can influence human behavior, including environmental factors and experience.
Earlier, experts named the signs of violent people prone to violence and said how to find out if your partner is an abuser.
Want to receive the most up-to-date news about the war and events in Ukraine - subscribe to our Telegram channel!