Psychopaths are often present in many popular works, be it movies and series, or pictures, songs or books. Often, their development, i.e. the gradual path to madness, is followed throughout the episode. Now scientists have discovered a simple way to recognize psychopaths in the real world, it all comes down to the hands.
Research has shown that people whose ring finger is longer than their index finger are more likely to exhibit psychopathic tendencies. Researchers at the Center de Recherche Charles-Le Moyne in Quebec say these findings suggest that psychopathy may be ‘biologically rooted’.
In their study, the researchers said: “While individuals with this behavior often have social problems and face difficulties, this behavior may be biologically conditioned and understood as a rapid life history strategy,” reports the Daily Mail.
The research has shown its results
The study, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, 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 scanned the participants’ right hands in detail and subjected them to several psychological assessments, including one designed to test for dark triad personality types. Higher scores on these tests indicated that the subject had higher levels of psychopathic and antisocial traits.
The results revealed a clear link between a lower 2D:4D ratio (longer ring finger than index finger) and antisocial traits, as well as higher scores on the Dark Triad personality tests. Previous studies have shown that the length of the fingers is affected by the amount of testosterone and estrogen that the fetus is exposed to in the womb.
