Scientists say the length of your fingers can reveal shocking personality trait you didn’t know you had

Your finger length might hold a lot of insight into your personality.

According to science, the 2D:4D ratio is the ratio between your index finger and ring finger and it reflects the level of hormones that you were exposed to in the womb.

Not only that, it can be a good predictor of certain personality traits.

Research from Dr. Ben Serpell, a sports scientist from the University of New England and the Geelong Cats Football Club, found a link between the two.

If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, you have a lower 2D:4D ratio, which means you had a higher exposure to testosterone in the womb.

Dr Serpell explained: '2D:4D ratio is thought to be established in the womb as early as the end of the first trimester, and it is affected by prenatal testosterone exposure.

The 2D:4D ratio is the ratio between your index finger and ring finger / Peter Finch/ Getty

'Given testosterone is an androgenic hormone, meaning it lends to what many would consider more "masculine" traits, women typically have a higher 2D:4D ratio than men.'

Whereas, if your index finger is longer than your ring finger, your 2D:4D ratio would be higher, meaning you would've been exposed to higher levels of oestrogen exposure in the womb.

Therefore, women tend to have higher 2D:4D ratios, whilst men have lower.

Delving into the personality traits of lower 2D:4D ratios, Dr. Serpell identified its commonness across successful rugby players, surgeons, and political journalists.

He said: 'We argue that 2D:4D might be predictive of ability to maintain focus. By extension, maintaining focus on a task we argue that those with a low 2D:4D become successful at that task.'

According to the sports scientist, this is due to the responsiveness of testosterone being linked to the ability to receive and process information.

However, lower 2D:4D ratios have also been linked to increased aggression in men, according to one study at the University of Alberta.

If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, you have a lower 2D:4D ratio, which means you had a higher exposure to testosterone in the womb / Peter Finch/ Getty

Dr. Seyed Sepehr Hashemian, a psychoanalyst who also worked on the paper, explained: 'We were surprised to observe such a linear association between higher symptoms of psychopathology and lower 2D:4D-ratios.

'The more an adult participant had signs of psychopathology, the more it appeared that this adult has been exposed to higher testosterone concentrations and lower oestrogen concentrations during the prenatal period of life.'

Meanwhile, other studies have investigated traits expressed in people with lower 2D:4D ratios.

A higher ratio was correlated with greater post-operative pain in one study, whilst in another study, women with higher ratios were less prone to migraine headaches.

However, it's important to note that neither ratio is essentially good or bad.

'While some traits associated with a lower 2D:4D ratio might be viewed negatively in certain contexts, they can also be advantageous in others, such as in competitive or challenging situations,' Dr. Serpell concluded.

All in all, it might not be wise to put the reason for your life's path down to your finger length.

While our finger length could hint at the reasons behind some of our actions, it's probably not wise to make life decisions solely based on it.