Testosterone leads to fairness, not aggression - article

[InvisibleJim]

Testosterone doesn't cause people to become aggressive or risky as many people believe but actually encourages fairness, European researchers say.

Researchers at the University of Zurich and Royal Holloway, University of London conducted a study of 120 women and found that testosterone promoted fairness in a bargaining game.

The women took part in a game to determine the distribution of real money, where both fair and unfair offers were allowed. The partner in this negotiation could either accept the offer or decline it, but if no agreement was reached, neither person would receive any money.

Before the game, the women were given either a dose of testosterone or a placebo. (Women were chosen for the experiment because the physiological effects of artificial testosterone are better understood in women than in men.)

"If one were to believe the common opinion, we would expect subjects who received testosterone to adopt aggressive, egocentric and risky strategies regardless of the possibly negative consequences on the negotiation process," said Christoph Eisenegger of the University of Zurich in a statement.

Instead, the study, published this week in Nature, found that women who received the testosterone behaved more fairly and had fewer conflicts in their negotiations.

However, the women who thought they had received the hormone, whether they did or not, behaved more aggressively and unfairly than those who believed they had received the placebo.

"It appears that it is not testosterone itself that induces aggressiveness but rather the myth surrounding the hormone," said economist Michael Naef of Royal Holloway.

Eisenegger said the experiment suggests that testosterone increases a person's sensitivity to status. In animals with simple social systems, aggressiveness can lead to higher social status, so testosterone leads to aggression.

"In the socially complex human environment, pro-social behavior secures status and not aggression," said Naef.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2009/12/08/tech-biology-testosterone-behaviour.html

[fen]

Who said testosterone is involved in risky behavior or being aggressive? That's dopamine, bro.

[InvisibleJim]

Who said testosterone is involved in risky behavior or being aggressive? That's dopamine, bro.

I have no opinion, for clarity that's a copypaste of the article linked at the foot of the OP.

[Creepy-male]

Interesting.

I've heard them say the same thing about Serotonin and status. From my research on different chemicals (which is extremely limited as I am no expert), Serotonin is focused on states of well being, having enough, perception of status -- especially resources, and perception of structure. Dopamine is reward, adventure, and pleasure. While Testosterone would be the typical masculine hormone; power, drive, linear, focus and status but from the standpoint of power.

I could see people being more fair with testosterone in negotiations as it could make people more on point, focused, and so forth.

I've heard that during sex dopamine is release all the way up to the orgasm and after the orgasm, serotonin is release.

I've also heard that men and women are capable of having both high levels of both sex hormones.

This is interesting I should get some more books/reading on this stuff.

[fen]

I have no opinion, for clarity that's a copypaste of the article linked at the foot of the OP.

It's not about opinion.
That should be a hint that the source is iffy.

[FDG]

1.The usefulness of a one-shot of testosterone is extremely debatable; the short and long term effects are likely very diverse (as an example, see bodybuilders who use anabolic steroids).

2.Tesosterone was administered orally, not intravenously. Which means...that the rate of absorption was abysmal.

3.120 observations are still a rather low number.

Overall, an absolutely horrible study.

I've also heard that men and women are capable of having both high levels of both sex hormones.

Not really. The highest percentiles for women overlap with the lowest percentiles for men, but that's about it. Extremely few women have testosterone levels which are above the mean of men's testosterone distribution. Which is fair, considering that it's the chief hormone regulating sexual dymorphism.

[Creepy-pikachu]

TST already carved out the linear brain structures at trimester, age 2, and puberty. The more, the more linear, and the more likely fair. "Of course its THIS way!"

The test really didnt need to administer anything. They could have just tested the people beforehand for other factors.


Ive been tested fror hormones. I test high for both TST and EST relative to my gender (a drop of EST to a male is like a gallon of EST to a female, and vice versa), but also test high for all other hormones, except T4 and Insulin I bet w00f tests high in TST and EST, too.

Aggression is more related to many other factors. Chemically, yeah, dopamine, adrenaline, noradrenaline, etc. a dozen many other factors.

My hypothesis is that brain molded by massive floods of TST during youth increases the physical like of curves (estrogenic, collagenic) features.


If I recall, low TST in developed males can lead to aggression, however, but so can low serotonin. Way too many factors to correlate, really.

[krieger]

Before the game, the women were given either a dose of testosterone or a placebo. (Women were chosen for the experiment because the physiological effects of artificial testosterone are better understood in women than in men.)

so basically the title should be "Testosterone leads to fairness, not aggression in women". not exactly an unimportant detail.

could it simply be that a change towards a more moderate balance of chemicals in a person is what brings about the "fair", "non-aggressive" attitude.

oh well. i'm kind of *yawn* about the whole thing.

[Creepy-male]

Not really. The highest percentiles for women overlap with the lowest percentiles for men, but that's about it. Extremely few women have testosterone levels which are above the mean of men's testosterone distribution. Which is fair, considering that it's the chief hormone regulating sexual dymorphism.

Well I've only

1) heard this, not scientifically verified it
2) said it was capable not a common occurrence
3) never specified what I meant by high-- i.e. high by standards irrespective of gender or respective of gender

Either way thanks for the information

[InvisibleJim]

1) heard this, not scientifically verified it

Yes, I hear a lot of things, but hormones aren't something I have any experience with especially not scientifically. The interesting aspect of the article to me was that it bucked a prejudiced viewpoint that I most often hear about with some type of measurement and test.

[Azure Flame]

I still feel like roid rage is real.

[Creepy-pikachu]

I still feel like roid rage is real.

Well, yeah, but thats different They put me pn prednisone for a lung infection once, and I was raging all week lol.