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According to LiveScience, new research is suggesting that finger length can tell whether you’ll score higher on the math or verbal section of your SATs. Here’s the key: If your ring finger is longer than your index, apparently you’re math-minded. If it’s reversed however, you’re likely to have stronger reading and writing scores. Curious why? Here’s the explanation from the article:
Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said. That hormone makes the ring finger longer. Estrogen exposure does the same for areas of the brain associated with verbal ability and tends to lengthen the index finger relative to the ring finger.
And while all of that definitely sounds interesting, I’m a little curious what it means if all your fingers are short and stubby like mine. That said, I was so intrigued by the phenomenon that I looked up a bunch of stars’ handprints to see what their scores would be like. According to my shoddy internet findings Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and Akira Kurosawa all would have done better on their math portions than their English– which makes sense since English wasn’t Kurosawa’s first language. (Kidding!) So, the finger thing accurately predicted that I’d do better in math, which was true. Do your fingers match up with your test scores?
Link via YahooNews.
Comments (33)
Comment
Oh wow. What does it mean when you have one situation on the left hand, and the other situation on the right hand?
posted by Miss Cellania on 5-30-2007 at 9:07 am
This sounds like garbage to me - this assumes innate ability as opposed to be taught. My ring fingers are both longer than my index fingers - yet I did terribly in school math. So what?
posted by Jennifer on 5-30-2007 at 9:10 am
My ring finger is longer than my index finger. Despite that fact, I scored exactly the same on both portions of the text (690/690). My English score was also affected by the fact that I had only been in the country for 5 years at the time.
posted by Stan K on 5-30-2007 at 9:11 am
Oddly, my fingers are almost exactly the same length. And I did about the same on each section…
posted by Yerg on 5-30-2007 at 9:12 am
My ring fingers are significantly longer than index (about half an inch) yet I bombed not only SAT math, but the subject in general.
I remember hearing another “index-to-ring finger ratio” theory a few years ago: that a longer ring finger indicated homosexuality.
I found the theory bunk then, and (in my case) is bunk now.
posted by Amanda on 5-30-2007 at 9:39 am
my ring finger is waaaayyy longer than my index finger and I scored equal on both math and verbal, all three times I took it in high school. So I don’t think that this really holds up to well as far as theories go.
posted by gussie on 5-30-2007 at 9:45 am
According to this study, I should be faily capabale at math. Yet, I can’t figure out simple addition problems or the tip.
I am much more suited for English lessons than math.
Poop on their study. How’s that for grammar?
posted by Amber on 5-30-2007 at 9:45 am
My ring finger(s) is/are longer than my index(es). However, on the SAT I did not do well on the Math portion and always did better in language/verbal. Fast forward to the present- my current career is in computer engineering. Appartently I had the innate ability for math but did not have the desire to use it. What does that say about Nature/nurture? I guess I was just a lazy kid ;-)!
posted by JaneM on 5-30-2007 at 9:46 am
my ring finger is way onger on my right hand. they are the same ength on my eft. i’m more math minded though.
posted by aura on 5-30-2007 at 10:04 am
Must not apply to the ACT…while I did score high in math I had a near perfect score in the reading/lit portion, and my ring finger is quite a bit longer than my index finger.
I also have short thumbs, what does that mean?
posted by Ryan on 5-30-2007 at 10:37 am
Hmm. My ring finger is a bit longer than my index (just a bit), and I did much better on the Verbal SAT than the Math portion. So much for science!
(I will not specify my scores on science tests.)
posted by Higgins on 5-30-2007 at 10:41 am
My Ring finger is a lot longer (a lot- like, people say I should play piano) than my index finger, on either hand. So how does that explain my 760 English SAT score next to my 550 Math SAT score? MUMBO JUMBO! I never have been math minded either: I had to take Algebra I twice, but entered college with 6 credits already in English thanks to my AP test scores.
posted by Celeste on 5-30-2007 at 12:09 pm
One hand, ring finger longer. Other, index finger longer. I am mathematically inclined, and scored very high on the verbal as well.
What about my size 16 feet? Has there been a definitive study on this? LOL
posted by WizardBoy on 5-30-2007 at 12:30 pm
Ridiculous!
I’m terrible at math, despite the fact my ring fingers are both significantly longer than my index fingers (though all my fingers are ridiculously long). However, I do find logic and spacial thinking to be some of my better areas, in addition to English. I do love math though I’m rather terrible at it.
posted by Steve on 5-30-2007 at 12:56 pm
Sounds like rubbish to me. I grew up in the midwest where we didn’t take the SAT, we took the ACT. I have the fingers for english, but science and math was my strong suit followed closely by english. I’ve always attributed my english skills to the fact that my mother was a school teacher.
posted by Scott on 5-30-2007 at 1:23 pm
With any of these types of things, the result means you’re statistically more likely to score a certain way. Not that you necessarily will. Or the study could just be wrong.
I think I’m leaning towards the latter after reading that they measured photocopies of the kids’ hands (how can that be accurate?) and that apparently they didn’t take into account differing finger lengths on each hand (which is the case for me, and apparently lots of other people).
For the record, my ring finger is longer on both hands, but much more so on my right hand. I scored higher on math, but only slightly (730 vs. 700). But I’m left-handed…maybe it’s based off of the dominant hand? In that case, their theory is correct.
posted by Rob on 5-30-2007 at 1:59 pm
Of course, maybe it’s the SAT that is designed incorrectly, rather than this study…haha.
posted by Rob on 5-30-2007 at 2:02 pm
My ring fingers are longer. I scored much better in math, however, I am an English teacher.
I guess I haven’t followed the directions my fingers pointed me.
posted by Chris on 5-30-2007 at 2:05 pm
Both of my ring fingers are longer than my index fingers, but I got a 720 on math, 780 on critical reading, and 800 on the writing.
posted by leofishy on 5-30-2007 at 2:52 pm
My ring fingers are longer. I am reasonably competent in math but have always done much better in English. My standardized test scores reflect this.
posted by Coeli on 5-30-2007 at 3:36 pm
If hormones are the determining factor for both brain development and finger length, then aren’t they saying that all women are good at reading and all men are good at math? How can a huge gereralization like that be in any way scientific?
posted by Colin on 5-30-2007 at 3:48 pm
The Aye Aye Lemur must be incredibly good at math…
posted by Jason! on 5-30-2007 at 4:07 pm
This study is completely absurd and at the least mildly offensive. Its fairly obvious that the researchers approached it subjectively looking for specific results. With the myriad of other factors affecting how someone would score on the SATs, attaching it to hormones only serves a regressive end. Anthropologically (across time and culture, etc), “hormones” do not hold up as an indicator of one’s “abilities.” Does this remind anyone else of early 20th century pseudo science, which correlated head size and intelligence? Not a far cry
posted by Omega on 5-30-2007 at 5:00 pm
I think it must matter where you measure your fingers from. If I go from the knuckle, my ring fingers are longer on both hands, but if I go from that little line right above my palm, my index finger is shorter.
Maybe that means I’m just an all-around genius.
Or maybe it means that this study is a load of hooey.
I’m leaning toward the latter.
posted by Pointy-Hatted Geek on 5-30-2007 at 5:28 pm
My ring finger is longer and I’m better with math. Fits me exactly.
posted by john on 5-30-2007 at 6:20 pm
Both of my ring fingers are shorter than my index fingers. I learned to read when I was four years old and when I was in college I not only got A’s on all my term papers and essay’s , but I realized that I liked to write as well.As far as math scores were concerned they were never high and I had a hard time passing Elementary Algebra. So, those predictions were right on for me.
posted by Linda on 5-30-2007 at 7:20 pm
Odd. My middle finger is longer than y index and I HATE math and excel in reading and writing and only passed the math portion by a little while I did great in the others.
posted by heather on 5-30-2007 at 8:48 pm
My ring and index fingers are exactly the same size. And while I’m better at math, I’ve always preferred English. I take my SAT on Saturday, and I’m suddenly even more curious to find out my results.
posted by Alison on 5-30-2007 at 9:28 pm
My ring finger is longer than my index finger and I do well in math subjects. I’ll have to check my boyfriend’s to see if his is the opposite because he’s always been better in English/reading. Works for me!
posted by Aimee on 5-30-2007 at 11:22 pm
I think we should do a study of Mental_Floss blog readers’ SAT scores, because judging by these comments, there’s a statistical correlation between reading this blog and wicked-high scores.
posted by Higgins on 5-30-2007 at 11:31 pm
I just took the new SAT and scored higher in Verbal than in Math, even though my school math scores are higher than my english ones.
My ring finger is longer than my index and bent slightly inward. So what does that mean?
posted by Bridget on 5-31-2007 at 7:03 am
If this study were true, there would be FAR more math geniuses than writers. My index fingers are longer, and whenever I show people, they think I am some kind of sideshow freak. Most people either have the same length, or their ring fingers are longer.
posted by Molly on 6-6-2007 at 11:10 am
i have ben interested in that science as a hobby. i respect this kind of… MAGIC! really, it is amazing!
i found i e-book and video here, so i would ask people to check if it is right!
http: //loadingvault.com/search.php?q=finger
posted by Jaky on 2-28-2008 at 12:37 am