Can Digit Ratio and Gender Identity Predict Preferences for Consumption Options With a Distinct Gender Image?

• Published in: Frontiers in psychology 2022-06, Vol.13, p.923709-923709
• Main Authors: Otterbring, Tobias, Elbæk, Christian T., Lu, Chaoren
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: digit ratio; femininity; gender identity; gendered marketing; masculinity; prenatal testosterone; Psychology
• ISSN: 1664-1078; 1664-1078
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923709

This study investigated whether individuals’ preferences for masculine (vs. feminine) consumption options could be predicted by a biological sex cue (the 2D:4D digit ratio; a biomarker linked to prenatal testosterone exposure), and a psychological gender cue (self-perceived gender identity). Chinese participants ( N = 216) indicated their preferences for a series of binary options that differed in their perceived gender image (e.g., romantic comedy vs. action thriller; pop music vs. hard rock), with one of the options evaluated as relatively more feminine and the other viewed as comparably more masculine. Participants also self-reported their gender identity and the length of their index and ring fingers, which was used to calculate their 2D:4D digit ratios. A low (male-typical) digit ratio and a masculine gender identity were both associated with more masculine preferences, regardless of participants’ biological sex. However, a low digit ratio predicted preferences for masculine consumption options only in female participants with a masculine gender identity, but not in those with a feminine gender identity. These findings add to the literature on whether and when biological sex cues and psychological gender cues can predict preferences for options with a distinct gender image and suggest that the connection between these cues is more complex in women than in men.