December 8, 2009
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Do those with more testosterone coursing through their bodies make riskier, more aggressive decisions? Popular culture and even rodent studies seem to have borne out this trite truism about the sex hormone, but researchers in Switzerland and the U.K. tested whether this perception really held true for humans in a controlled environment—and arrived at counter-intuitive findings.
"We wanted to verify how the hormone affects social behavior," Christoph Eisenegger, a neuroscientist at the University of Zurich and lead author of a new paper on the subject, said in a prepared statement. "If one were to believe the common opinion, we would expect subjects who received testosterone to adopt aggressive, egocentric and risky strategies."
To test the idea, the research team gave 121 women either 0.5 milligrams of testosterone or a placebo and had them play an ultimatum bargaining game. With real money on the line, one player was in charge of proposing how the two would split the funds via a computer interface. The other player could reject an offer if she thought it unfair—and if the game ended in a stalemate, no money was distributed. Given the common wisdom about testosterone, the players who had gotten the testosterone boost should be more likely to take a riskier, antisocial approach and lowball the initial offer in an effort to keep more money for themselves.
The behavior of the test subjects, however, did not ultimately confirm the stereotypes, according to the results, published online Tuesday in Nature (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group).
Those who had received testosterone actually made "significantly higher offers" than those who had gotten the placebo (offering an average of 39 percent of the money and 34 percent, respectively)—even after controlling for baseline testosterone levels and perceived testosterone consumption, the paper authors noted. These testosterone-fueled offers worked, "thereby reducing bargaining conflicts and increasing the efficiency of social interactions," the researchers wrote. They attributed this shift to a desire of the testosterone group to maintain their images—by avoiding rejection—aligning with the so-called social status hypothesis.
But might the different bargaining approach be based on an increase in altruism? The authors refute this explanation, noting that if this were the case they would have seen more offers accepted under the influence of testosterone (which they didn’t, finding, in fact no significant change in the ways the receivers responded to the offers when compared with a similar test of 180 women who had received no testosterone).
This study isn’t the first to cut away at some of the myths about testosterone. Previous research has found that although the hormone is often prevalent in violent individuals—both male and female—it alone doesn’t lead to violence.
Does this mean testosterone has no role in complicating such social negotiations? It is likely more complex than that, Michael Naef, an economist at Royal Holloway, University of London and co-author of the study, noted in a prepared statement. Indeed, the cultural concept of testosterone itself might be to blame for some antisocial and aggressive behavior. The researchers found that of those who strongly believed they had gotten the testosterone pill—whether or not they had it or the placebo—actually "behaved much more unfairly," the authors wrote. And: "In a society where qualities and manners of behavior are increasingly traced to biological causes and thereby partly legitimated, this should make us sit up and take notice," Naef said.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto/mrsmuckers
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But would a similar increase in testerone have the same effect in men? Women are characterized by more coperative social interactions in the first place, so perhaps the exogenous testosterone just increased a behavior to which they were already predisposed.
Link to thisThis research itself is counter-rational as the issue of testosterone’s impact on aggressive, even violent behavior is largely with males. I agree with the prior commentator that women are wired to be more socially cooperative in the first place. Also, given that women’s brains have been documented to be structured and to function differently than men, and given that women are far more infused with estrogen than men, it is not at all surprising that the results of testosterone infusion would not produce the expected results with men.
The larger question is why was this testosterone research conducted with women rather than men. What would have made more sense, if women were to be involved, would be to have had samples of both women and men. In addition, I think there needs to be some physiological and psychological pre-measures of the subjects to gain some baselines of ingoing hormone levels and predispositions with respect to risk taking, aggressiveness and proneness to physical aggression.
Link to thisMale eunuchs and low testosterone level men seem having a more aggresive response trend, at least verbally, perhaps connected to higher depression scores
Link to thisThis research is thought-provoking, but I fail to see how the game results can be attributed causally to status-seeking behavior.
Link to thisWhat a joke!!! Game with real money! What about in real life?
Look a men’s sports! No test needed. Look at guys watching sports in bars! Do you really need a test. Just talk to these guys.
Did they factor in the personality of the individual? NO!
Link to thisNot everyone is the same.
I know first hand…as sports referee for high school boys.
Hormones make the difference between winners and losers.
Check the hormones of the coaches that get un-sportsmen like conduct against them.
Wrestling might be the highest hormone based sport.
There’s many jobs where hormones are the key factor?
Check these people.
What about some of the aggressive women, Road Rageing in their SUV?
Check their hormones. There’s far more women than men doing it.
There’s so many area to check for a more honest result.
Link to thisjdrosay,
Link to thisI understand what your saying. There’s many factors involved, not sure if this is always true.
Sometimes people who can’t think clearly, tend to argue anytime someone disagrees with them.
All behaviors overlap, that’s why, all this is so difficult to understand and know what’s really the cause.
The good part is that everyday we learn new ideas to help.
I am a 65 year old male and let me tell you the Dr Max Powers Testosterone Booster works because I feel allot more energy and stamina,I recomend it for active men that do some exercises and workout,it makes allot of difference in your all around energy levels,its great. And no side efects at all.
I am on my 4th bottle; I use it for about a month, and then not use it for 3 months (really because I dont need it).
I have made it a hobby to study natural herbs and their effect on the human body. The Dr Max Testosterone Booster is an excellent buy. I have found cheaper brands to be inferior. It is a great product for increasing muscles, male enhancement, repairing damaged muscle, and providing energy and vigor.
Link to thisIt’s best to just stay away from testosterone based supplements. I’d go with natural ones like VigRX Plus. I’m too concerned about my health nowadays anyways. I found a good review on it here: http://www.penisproducts.org/vigrx-plus.html
Link to this<a href="http://www.penisproducts.org/vigrx-plus.html">VigRX Plus Reviews</a>
Link to thisFirst let me commend the efforts put into that research, though I am NOT fully convinced about the results, yet.
In fact, it brought more confusion to my heart…
Why women and not men? Why not use both men and women in the same room, same time? Why not both men and women separately? Then compare results?
Why didn’t the learned scientists widen the scope of the research trials, to include, say women of different ages and occupation?
I am not condemning the results, because I regard it a "beginning of a new dawn" in testosterone breakthroughs.
Well that is, if the scope of the research is widen and the scientists follow with open minds.
popolklkp – what you described here is of great interest to me. But if I am not mistaken, Dr Max Powers is a bit different from the main thrust of this article? Just need some clarification, please!
And I will appreciate MORE if you could just shed lights on the main benefits. For example, you said, "…I feel allot more energy and stamina…"
Do you mean physical energy alone? Or even sexual stamina? Well I am curious because I am interested in writing about proven sexual enhancement without side effects.
We have same passion for natural herbal benefits!
Link to this