Use of crowdsourced images for determining 2D:4D and relationship to pro-environmental variables

Gary J Pickering; Nicholas Anger; Julia Baird; Gillian Dale; Glenn J Tattersall

doi:10.1007/s10211-022-00401-5

Use of crowdsourced images for determining 2D:4D and relationship to pro-environmental variables

Acta Ethol. 2022;25(3):165-178. doi: 10.1007/s10211-022-00401-5. Epub 2022 Sep 8.

Authors

Gary J Pickering^{1

2

3

4}, Nicholas Anger⁵, Julia Baird^{3

4

6}, Gillian Dale³, Glenn J Tattersall¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 Canada.
² Psychology Department, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada.
³ Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada.
⁴ Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Digital Humanities, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada.
⁶ Department of Geography and Tourism Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada.

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether 2D:4D ratios (a putative measure of prenatal androgen exposure) could be determined using participant-submitted hand images. The secondary purpose was to examine whether 2D:4D ratio was associated with pro-environmental behaviors, attitudes, and empathy, given the recent literature linking sex to environmental attitudes and actions. Participants (N = 1065) were asked via an online survey to submit a clear photograph of their right hand, palm side up. Participants also completed a questionnaire to assess (a) demographics, (b) dispositional empathy, and (c) environmental attitudes and behavior. A 2D:4D ratio was calculated for each participant, and the quality of each image was classified as poor, moderate, or good. We then examined the reliability of the 2D:4D image measurements, and the relationship between 2D:4D and our environmental measures. 2D:4D ratios fell somewhat outside of previously reported ranges, but the measurements did show acceptable intra-rater consistency. Although we did not find a sex difference in 2D:4D, we did find a sex by ratio interaction for both empathy and the number of pro-environmental behaviors in which individuals had engaged. Specifically, as 2D:4D ratio increased, males reported lower empathy and less engagement in pro-environmental behaviors, whereas females reported more engagement in pro-environmental behaviors (but no differences in empathy). These findings were contrary to expectations, as we anticipated that greater digit ratios (i.e., feminized) would be associated with greater empathy and pro-environmental behaviors. Overall, the findings of this study present a preliminary examination of the utility of measuring digit ratio with online samples. Furthermore, our results provide information regarding the complex relationship between sex and pro-environmental behaviors.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10211-022-00401-5.

Keywords: 2D:4D; Empathy; Online methodology; Prenatal hormone exposure; Pro-environmental behavior; Sex.

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