Psychology
Testosterone Research
Testosterone research in psychology focuses on understanding the hormone's influence on behavior, cognition, and emotions. Studies have explored its role in aggression, dominance, risk-taking, and social interactions. Research also examines how testosterone levels may impact mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, as well as its potential link to certain mental health conditions.
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- Bruno Lunenfeld, Louis J. G. Gooren, Alvaro Morales, John Morley, Bruno Lunenfeld, Louis JG Gooren, Alvaro Morales, John Morley, Bruno Lunenfeld, Louis JG Gooren, Alvaro Morales, John Morley(Authors)
- 2007(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
551 C HAPTER 44 Testosterone, depression, and cognitive function John E Morley For it is the semen, when possessed of vitality which makes us to be men, hot, well-braced in limbs, well voiced, spirited, strong to think and act Aretaeus, The Cappadocian, AD 150. What is, therefore, the cause that castrates slow down in their whole vitality? Galen, Peri Spermatas Introduction The above citations from ancient times suggest that testosterone plays a role in behavior. Despite these early anecdotes, with the exception of studies on libido, there are few well-controlled studies examin-ing the effect of testosterone on behavior. This is in contrast to the relatively large literature on estrogen in women, linking it to cognitive behaviors and per-haps to playing a role in Alzheimer’s disease. 1,2 While testosterone has been strongly associated with the mythologic concept of the aggressive male, studies examining the effects of testosterone on behavior have yielded mixed results. Schaal et al 3 found that high testosterone levels were more likely to be a marker of social success than to be associated with physical aggression. On the other hand, in free-ranging adolescent male non-human primates, cerebrospinal fluid levels of testosterone were asso-ciated with overall aggressiveness but not impulsiv-ity. 4 Administration of moderately high doses of testosterone for contraception has failed to reveal adverse effects on male sexual and aggressive behav-ior. 5 In a controlled trial supraphysiologic doses of testosterone failed to increase angry behavior in healthy eugonadal males. 6 In males rendered hypog-onadal with a GNRH antagonist there was not only a decrease in sexual desire and fantasies, but also a trend to increased aggression. 7 In contrast, using a similar approach, Loosen et al 8 found a reduction in outward-directed anger and no change in inward-directed behavior in hypogonadal males.
eBook - PDF- Peter T. Ellison, Peter B. Gray, Peter T. Ellison, Peter B. Gray(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Harvard University Press(Publisher)
advantageous. Informative research is conducted under the aegis of the challenge hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990), in which high T in males is associated with more challenge behaviors (for example, aggression) and fewer behaviors indicating parental investment (for example, mate de-fense). Another perspective is the testosterone trade-off framework (van Anders and Watson, 2006b) in which high T in women and men is asso-ciated with more competitive behaviors (for example, infant defense, searching for partners) and fewer bond maintenance behaviors (for ex-ample, caring for partners or offspring). Additionally, researchers from various disciplines bring different viewpoints to similar questions, in-cluding state effects (how partnering affects hormones), trait effects (how hormones affect partnering), and reciprocal effects. The variety of per-spectives allows for questioning and complementary insights. Research that includes diverse human populations can benefit our un-derstandings of the associations between androgens and partnering even for those not interested in diversity per se. Including these groups re-quires recognizing the value of diversity and inclusive research practices. Since individuals in these groups are often minority holders in power structures, it is crucial that research does not contribute to their margin-alization or disempowerment. One reason is admittedly selfish: groups that are distrustful of science and scientists are unlikely to volunteer to participate in scientific studies. How could research continue in this case? Others are less so: the information gathered will hopefully further our understanding of human behavior and wonder at the complexity of hu-man nature.
eBook - PDFTestosterone
Action, Deficiency, Substitution
- Eberhard Nieschlag, Hermann M. Behre(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Cambridge University Press(Publisher)
Given that testosterone effects in the male are essential for reproduction, we should expect less variability in men. In women, however, such testosterone effects are probably irrelevant to reproduction, and hence genetic variability would not be surprising. The variability in the association between testosterone and mood and aggression in women is not fundamentally different from that found in men. Hence we need to consider whether there are basic differences in the testosterone-dependent mechanisms involved in sexual response and mood/ aggression responses. 2. We remain uncertain about the extent to which observed behavioral effects of exogenous testosterone are direct androgen effects or indirect effects resulting from increased availability of bioactive estrogen, resulting both from the conversion of testosterone to estradiol, and reduced binding of estradiol in the presence of increased testosterone. 3. The sexuality of women is powerfully influenced by mood, energy and well-being, and these aspects are affected by a wide variety of factors. Although possible effects of testosterone on mood, as well as sexuality, have been assessed in many of the studies considered, very few have directly considered the extent to which mood influences sexuality. In addition to depression, the sexuality of women is powerfully influenced by other psychological mechanisms. As in an early study of oral contraceptive users (Bancroft et al. 1980), the relationship between testosterone and sexuality may be more apparent in women who are not experiencing significant relationship problems. 5.5 Comparison of testosterone effects in men and women What are the principal points that emerge from a comparison of testosterone effects in men and women? 1. The evidence for an activating effect of testosterone on sexual interest and response is more consistent for men than for women.
- John A. Barry(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Palgrave Macmillan(Publisher)
2011 ) concluded that testosterone motivates people to engage in dominance behaviour, with the aim of achieving and maintaining social status. The behaviours are usually not physically aggressive, though they might include intimidating non-verbal communication, such as staring.One of the most interesting topics in psychology and medicine is the placebo effect. The placebo effect is when someone experiences benefits from an inert treatment that can’t be attributed to properties of the treatment. The nocebo effect is a negative version of this, where someone experiences, for example, unpleasant side effects from an inert treatment which can’t be attributed to the properties of the treatment. There is evidence that the popular misconception regarding testosterone and aggression in humans can create a nocebo effect, where people become more antisocial. A very interesting double-blind study of 60 healthy women found that those who were administered testosterone showed no more antisocial behaviour compared to women who were administered a placebo (Eisenegger et al. 2010 ). Fascinatingly, however, women who believed they had been administered testosterone showed more negative behaviours than those who believed they had received the placebo. This study demonstrates the power of false belief, and implies that people tend to have a negative conception of the effects of testosterone. It would be interesting to replicate this study in a male group to see whether the same nocebo effect occurs.Testosterone as a Prosocial Hormone
We have seen that testosterone can have some positive effects, in terms of libido and cognition. There is also a strong case for seeing testosterone as a hormone that promotes sociability. For example, in a classic study of healthy men and women, Dabbs et al. (1997
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