The relationship is too subtle. The differences in finger length are just fractions of an inch. In addition, the finding is merely a statistical relationship, meaning that there are likely to be many men and women who do not fit the pattern. Despite the warning, Breedlove concedes that Americans are likely to be sizing up their own fingers as well as others'. Breedlove has experienced that when telling friends or colleagues about his findings.
Most people find it fascinating.
Nearly as interesting was the way Breedlove and his co-researchers conducted their study. They went to street fairs in the San Francisco area last fall. Using a portable copy machine, the researchers persuaded 720 fairgoers to allow them to make copies of their hands and also answer questions about their sexual orientation and family history. That's a ratio of 1.4 older brothers to 1 older sister. In the general population, that ratio is 1.06 to 1, they said.