Testosterone Does Not Induce Aggression, Study Shows

[DavidDvorkin]

ScienceDaily (Dec. 9, 2009) — New scientific evidence refutes the preconception that testosterone causes aggressive, egocentric, and risky behavior. A study at the Universities of Zurich and Royal Holloway London with more than 120 experimental subjects has shown that the sexual hormone with the poor reputation can encourage fair behaviors if this serves to ensure one's own status.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091208132241.htm

[HopeHoops]

1. My nuts are telling me to go open a can of whoop-ass in Zurich and London.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. can encourage fair behaviors if this serves to ensure one's own status.

And how is this NOT egocentric? Ref: "causes aggressive, egocentric, and risky behavior."

[SoCalDem]

3. study sponsored by the Macho, Manly Men Foundation? n/t

[Marr]

4. Hmm. Seems like the study suggests that the social pressure is

more of an influence than the hormone.

[MidwestRick]

5. and this study will then back what I've been saying...

"Roid rage" is a made up phrase the media and politicans use to further the cause against the legalizing of steroids.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. Yep

It's never been shown to exist, but everyone is convinced it does.

Just like "testosterone poisoning".

[damntexdem]

6. And I'll beat up anyone who says it does!

;-)

[BoneDaddy]

7. Oh my how disappointed some will be on this board

who love to hate that which is of the masculine. Thank god...rationality.

[seabeyond]

8. and here i was thinking, all the times i said conditioning and male replied

testosterone

how it may rock their boat.

on edit: well, to be fair, and the women that spout it out too. there are those that do.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Those who love to attack all things masculine

will continue to do so and will dismiss this study with the kind of fury testosterone is supposed to induce.

[dustbunnie]

12. Well now they no longer can. The test was conducted on women.

So I guess we now have the proof that women do much better and behave with more ethics and fairness when they have more "male" qualities, like testosterone in their systems. Who knew that the male of the species really is more superior.

[seabeyond]

13. testosterone is in all people and where do you see test on women. what i read

was gender nonspecific

[dustbunnie]

14. Males have far more of it than we do. That's why they are physically much bigger and stronger.

Here are more details of this particular "study."

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

And to me, the results state quite clearly that women who are fed more "maleness" become more ethical and fair.

That is, if you believe a one time dose of .05 mgs of some androgen would do anything at all, which I don't.

[seabeyond]

15. thanks

males have 7x's. yes, i am aware. but by your comment i did not know if you were aware all people have it.

and thank you for the other article.

more interesting on women and the conclusions they draw especially with the placebo effect.

[dustbunnie]

18. Actually some of the comments are much more interesting than the article.

It's a sensationalized title for sure.

I can see where average women who think they're taking even a small dosage of steroids might freak and think they've become superwoman, but that has little to do with how men are affected by the amount of testosterone in their systems, or even how women are affected with long term augmentation of the hormone. It's meaningless, really.

[DavidDvorkin]

19. Some of us knew it

But we were too polite and considerate to say so. :)

(Especially on DU.)

[dustbunnie]

27. Hee hee... I was being facetious.

Vive l'oestrogène!! :-)

[dustbunnie]

9. One application of .05 mg of testosterone before the test. Are they kidding?

That sounds like quite the joke of a study.

[Kitty Herder]

17. Agreed. One application isn't going to make much difference.

It seems to me that it would take fairly consistent application of testosterone over the period that someone is developing to make much difference. That is how physical differences due to sex hormones develop. One day isn't going to do it.

It takes time for a calf to develop into a bull. Or a steer.

That said, I don't think humans are as simple as cattle. Hormones alone can't determine how we will behave.

[Johonny]

25. reading the article

it sounds like they observed a difference between subjects even with that small amount it just wasn't the behavior they interpreted as aggressive. I'd like to see more testing before I agree totally that "testosterone only causes aggressive or egoistic behavior in humans is thus clearly refuted". But I think it's probably an ok study. They aren't saying it never does just that it doesn't always do. As always the small science blurb probably doesn't give you all the information you need to understand exactly what they saw, interpreted and ramifications.

[Kitty Herder]

16. It's silly to try to reduce complex human motivations to the effects of hormones.

Especially a single hormone.

Blaming bad behavior on testosterone lets offenders off the hook. "The poor dear can't help it. S/he has a high level of testosterone."

[Forkboy]

20. My third nut disagrees.

By the way, there's something I've been meaning to tell you all.....

[Sparkly]

21. Let's assume the study is valid. Then what IS the reason men are more aggressive than women? nt

[seabeyond]

22. i've known an awful lot fo aggressive women. doesnt seem to come out in physical fighting

but aggressive it is. (though physically aggressive female is on the rise). generally in language and behavior. hey, i am one, lol.

raising two boys with no fighting rule from day one, i say more learned than anything else.

plus son does tell me when mad pain feels good. i dont get that at all.

but interesting questions

not that i have the answers, just putting out a few thoughts.

[Sparkly]

23. I thought of saying "violent."

Yes, boys in general do seem to be wired differently from girls, in general.

[seabeyond]

24. but the point is,

neither of my boys get in physical fights. my husband had one fight growing up (not counting brother). yet i have two brothers that fight all the time, still do and they are really too old to resort to that behavior. in our house it was boys will be boys and this is how males behave and work out their porblems. in husbands family, wasnt allowed.

i have two nephews that are always in trouble, always ready to fight. raised by my brother who condones.

[Johonny]

26. reading the article their hypothesis is

A) The preconception that testosterone only causes aggressive or egoistic behavior in humans is thus clearly refuted,

the key world being only, meaning it can still cause aggressive behavior

B)The interplay between testosterone and the socially differentiated environment of humans, and not testosterone itself, probably causes fair or aggressive behavior

That probably answers your question.