An Investigation of the Relationship between Digit Ratio and Spatial Ability

Spatial ability plays a key role in many types of reasoning and communication, and is important in domains such as design. Digit ratio is related to a range of cognitive abilities, including spatial ability. In digit ratio studies, most studies were limited by using only one test for spatial ability. The purpose of present study was to investigate which sub-factors of spatial ability are related to digit ratio. We analyzed sex differences and the relationship between digit ratio and three sub-factors of spatial ability. Our results found that right hand digit ratio was significantly lower in males than in females, no significant differences were found between males and females on the left hand ratio. For female samples, both hands digit ratio were significantly negative correlated with perceptual speed factor of spatial ability. There was no association between digit ratio and spatial visualization factor and spatial relation factor.