Testosterone has long been the black sheep of hormones—blamed for every bad behavior from aggression to greed to promiscuity. But a new study might change testosterone’s bad boy image.
Researchers at the University of Zurich asked 121 women—given a placebo or testosterone—to play a cooperation game. Known as the ultimatum game, one woman receives $10 and must give some of it to another woman. If the second woman refuses the gift, the first loses all her cash.
“Almost everybody believes that testosterone has these aggression-enhancing effects,” Ernst Fehr—lead author of the study and a neuroeconomist at the University of Zurich, Switzerland—told the New Scientist.
While the hormone might cause aggression and greed, researchers believe that testosterone actually encourages men and women to improve their status. If this were true, then participants receiving testosterone would fear being rejected, so they would present a more generous offer. Women who believed they had taken testosterone and actually ingested testosterone (and not the placebo) gave a dollar more than women who believed they had taken testosterone and swallowed a placebo.
When researchers probed them as to why they would give more money if they were given extra testosterone, the women reported that the hormone would make them “egotistic, more risk-taking, and more aggressive.” But the researchers simply believe that the hormone worked to encourage women to improve their station.
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neuroeconomist…wow!
posted by septerr on 12-16-2009 at 7:03 pm
I keep reading about this “new finding” that testosterone promotes behaviors more closely related to social standing, yet it’s mentioned throughout my Behavioral Endocrinology textbook from this year. It’s called “the challenge hypothesis” and it’s been noted in avian models. Perhaps these are the first experiments they have done looking at this in humans?
posted by Lynnie on 12-16-2009 at 7:17 pm
We are a bioidentical human hormone manufacturer in Australia and these results tally very closley with our understanding of the role of testosterone as a non-aggressive creating hormone.
As far as I can ascertain we have never had a patient who has, as a result of bioidentical testosterone treatment, become or shown any signs of aggressive behaviours.
posted by Lance Chambers on 12-16-2009 at 9:46 pm
Testosterone is a sex hormone, so it makes complete sense. Sex is a basic need, we want to successful at it.
posted by Nurse Monica on 12-16-2009 at 10:42 pm
It would be interesting to see the study done on men. How would they react with an extra dose? How would they react if they had to give the money to men who they deemed already more successful than themselves? How would they behave if they had to give the money to women?
posted by dso on 12-16-2009 at 10:45 pm
I’ve been on testosterone for over a year and I haven’t noticed my agression changing at all, despite the warnings from my doctors.
Recaptcha: inadequate theology – beautiful!
posted by Bucephalus on 12-17-2009 at 12:01 pm