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Study claims that intuition could be partly biological and is related to the lower prenatal exposure to testosterone that females receive in the womb

Female intuition – a woman's ability to discern what other people are thinking and feeling – is mysterious.

But now a new study claims that it could be partly biological and related to the lower prenatal exposure to testosterone that females receive in the womb.

A team of international experts think explains why women are 'more intuitive and less reflective' than men.

Previous studies have shown that prenatal exposure to testosterone affects developments in the brain and that men take more risks than women because they received a higher amount of testosterone while in the womb, Medical Xpress reported.

Scientists describe intuition as thoughts that are processed unconsciously and automatically, requiring little cognitive effort, while reflexive thought requires conscious analysis and takes more effort.

Intuitive thoughts are considered to be more emotional, while analytical thoughts are more rational.

The scientists from the University of Granada, the Barcelona Pompeu Fabra University and Middlesex University carried out experiments on 600 students from the University of Granada to see whether men are less intuitive than women.

To do this, they used the 'digital ratio' which is an indication of prenatal testosterone levels and is calculated by dividing the length of the forefinger by the length of the ring finger of the same hand.

The scientists carried out experiments on 600 students from the University of Granada to see whether men are less intuitive than women. To do this, they used the 'digital ratio' which is an indication of prenatal testosterone levels and is calculated by dividing the length of the forefinger by the length of the ring finger of the same hand

'The lower the ratio, the greater the prenatal testosterone received and, therefore, the more "masculine" the cerebral disposition, regardless of the person's gender,' said Antonio Manuel Espin, lecturer at the University of Granada.

Men have a lower average digital ratio than women, he explained.

Participants took a cognitive reflection test (CRT) made up of three simple algebra questions that measures the contrast between intuitive and reflective thoughts.

The test is designed so that people think of an incorrect intuitive answer quickly, but if they think about it – demonstrating reflective thought processes – they usually come up with the right answer, according to the study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Previous studies have shown that prenatal exposure to testosterone affects developments in the brain and that men take more risks than women because they received a higher amount of testosterone while in the womb. Testosterone crystals are pictured

Dr Espin said: 'Women tend to give more intuitive answers, whilst men respond in a more reflexive way.

'In other words, in this specific test, which penalises intuitive thought, men generally do better than women'.

The test also showed that women with a lower digital ratio answered the questions as correctly as men.

'What we found was an indication that prenatal exposure to testosterone predisposes people to adopt a more reflexive and less intuitive mind set. Furthermore, this effect seems to be stronger among women,' he added.