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Lieberman HR, Caldwell JA, Vartanian O, Carmichael OT, Karl JP, Berryman CE, Gadde KM, Niro PJ, Harris MN, Rood JC, Pasiakos SM. Effects of testosterone enanthate on aggression, risk-taking, competition, mood, and other cognitive domains during 28 days of severe energy deprivation. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:461-478. [PMID: 38038817 PMCID: PMC10884082 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06502-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Behavioral effects of testosterone depend on dose, acute versus sustained formulation, duration of administration, personality, genetics, and endogenous levels of testosterone. There are also considerable differences between effects of endogenous and exogenous testosterone. OBJECTIVES This study was the secondary behavioral arm of a registered clinical trial designed to determine if testosterone protects against loss of lean body mass and lower-body muscle function induced by a severe energy deficit typical of sustained military operations. METHODS Behavioral effects of repeated doses of testosterone on healthy young men whose testosterone was reduced by severe energy deficit were examined. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-group study. Effects of four weekly intramuscular injections of testosterone enanthate (200 mg/week, N = 24) or matching placebo (N = 26) were evaluated. Determination of sample size was based on changes in lean body mass. Tasks assessing aggression, risk-taking, competition, social cognition, vigilance, memory, executive function, and mood were repeatedly administered. RESULTS During a period of artificially induced, low testosterone levels, consistent behavioral effects of administration of exogenous testosterone were not observed. CONCLUSIONS Exogeneous testosterone enanthate (200 mg/week) during severe energy restriction did not reliably alter the measures of cognition. Study limitations include the relatively small sample size compared to many studies of acute testosterone administration. The findings are specific to healthy males experiencing severe energy deficit and should not be generalized to effects of other doses, formulations, or acute administration of endogenous testosterone or studies conducted with larger samples using tests of cognitive function designed to detect specific effects of testosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harris R Lieberman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA.
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - John A Caldwell
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Laulima Government Solutions, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Oshin Vartanian
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Owen T Carmichael
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - J Philip Karl
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Claire E Berryman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Kishore M Gadde
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Philip J Niro
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa N Harris
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Jennifer C Rood
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Stefan M Pasiakos
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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2
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Ågmo A. Androgen receptors and sociosexual behaviors in mammals: The limits of generalization. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105530. [PMID: 38176634 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Circulating testosterone is easily aromatized to estradiol and reduced to dihydrotestosterone in target tissues and elsewhere in the body. Thus, the actions of testosterone can be mediated either by the estrogen receptors, the androgen receptor or by simultaneous action at both receptors. To determine the role of androgens acting at the androgen receptor, we need to eliminate actions at the estrogen receptors. Alternatively, actions at the androgen receptor itself can be eliminated. In the present review, I will analyze the specific role of androgen receptors in male and female sexual behavior as well as in aggression. Some comments about androgen receptors and social recognition are also made. It will be shown that there are important differences between species, even between strains within a species, concerning the actions of the androgen receptor on the behaviors mentioned. This fact makes generalizations from one species to another or from one strain to another very risky. The existence of important species differences is often ignored, leading to many misunderstandings and much confusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Ågmo
- Department of Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway.
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3
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Lashitew AA. When businesses go digital: The role of CEO attributes in technology adoption and utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE 2023; 189:122324. [PMID: 36718420 PMCID: PMC9877386 DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has prompted a rush of technology adoption as businesses turned to digital technologies to avert closure in the face of an unprecedent pandemic. This study examines the adoption and utilization of e-commerce and remote work technologies among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) during the pandemic. Building on various streams of research on technology adoption and utilization, we elaborate how CEO gender and experience can shape risk-taking attitude and crisis responsiveness, influencing technology adoption and utilization decisions. Analysis using a rich dataset of >20,000 enterprises across 42 countries revealed that female CEOs were significantly less likely to adopt remote work technologies; moreover, female CEOs leading small-sized enterprises were less likely to adopt e-commerce. However, CEO gender was not associated with the utilization intensity of remote work and e-commerce technologies. CEOs' industry experience was found to have an inverted U-shaped relationship with the adoption and utilization of both e-commerce and remote work technologies. These results reveal that top management decisions attributable to CEO experience, and to a lesser degree to CEO gender, can help explain divergent levels of digital technology adoption and utilization during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Addisu A Lashitew
- DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada
- Brookings Institution, Washington, DC, USA
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4
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El Ahdab J, Khachan MJ, Richa S, Raad G. A comprehensive review on the role of testosterone on the neurobehavioral systems implicated in the reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality. L'ENCEPHALE 2023; 49:174-184. [PMID: 36411119 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2022.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) is a neuropsychological theory of personality emphasizing approach and avoidance as the two core behavioral aspects. Approach is represented by the behavioral approach system (BAS). Avoidance is represented by the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and the fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS). Although the influence of testosterone on human behavior has been demonstrated, few studies have investigated the relation between testosterone and the RST. The aim of this narrative review was to decipher the possible role of testosterone on the biological systems involved in the RST in humans. METHODS Google scholar, PubMed, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Scopus and Cochrane library databases were interrogated using keywords such as testosterone, BIS, BAS, FFFS, personality, reinforcement sensitivity theory. RESULTS Seven original articles, published between 2009 and 2022, assessing the relation between testosterone and the systems implicated in the RST, were included. The results of these studies suggested the presence of a possible positive relation between testosterone and the BAS. However, the impact of testosterone on the BIS and/or FFFS seems to be less clear. DISCUSSION The consistency in the results supporting the presence of a positive relation between testosterone and the BAS might lead to the consideration of testosterone as a potential correlate in the clinical assessment of several psychopathologies. The inconsistency in the conclusions regarding the impact of testosterone on the BIS and/or the FFFS might be attributed to the different questionnaires used as measurement tools. Additional research remains needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J El Ahdab
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - M-J Khachan
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - S Richa
- Psychiatry Department, University Hospital, Hôtel Dieu de France, Beirut, Lebanon; Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - G Raad
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon; Al-Hadi laboratory and medical center, Beirut, Lebanon.
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5
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Vartanian O, Lam TK, Mandel DR, Ann Saint S, Navarrete G, Carmichael OT, Murray K, Pillai SR, Shankapal P, Caldwell J, Berryman CE, Karl JP, Harris M, Rood JC, Pasiakos SM, Rice E, Duncan M, Lieberman HR. Effect of exogenous testosterone in the context of energy deficit on risky choice: Behavioural and neural evidence from males. Biol Psychol 2023; 176:108468. [PMID: 36481265 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown greater risk aversion when people make choices about lives than cash. We tested the hypothesis that compared to placebo, exogenous testosterone administration would lead to riskier choices about cash than lives, given testosterone's association with financial risk-taking and reward sensitivity. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was conducted to test this hypothesis (Clinical Trials Registry: NCT02734238, www.clinicaltrials.gov). We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 50 non-obese males before and shortly after 28 days of severe exercise-and-diet-induced energy deficit, during which testosterone (200 mg testosterone enanthate per week in sesame oil) or placebo (sesame seed oil only) was administered. Because we expected circulating testosterone levels to be reduced due to severe energy deficit, testosterone administration served a restorative function to mitigate the impact of energy deficit on testosterone levels. The fMRI task involved making choices under uncertainty for lives and cash. We also manipulated whether the outcomes were presented as gains or losses. Consistent with prospect theory, we observed the reflection effect such that participants were more risk averse when outcomes were presented as gains than losses. Brain activation in the thalamus covaried with individual differences in exhibiting the reflection effect. Testosterone did not impact choice, but it increased sensitivity to negative feedback following risky choices. These results suggest that exogenous testosterone administration in the context of energy deficit can impact some aspects of risky choice, and that individual differences in the reflection effect engage a brain structure involved in processing emotion, reward and risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oshin Vartanian
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Timothy K Lam
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David R Mandel
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sidney Ann Saint
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Gorka Navarrete
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Kori Murray
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | | | - John Caldwell
- Alaka'ina, Frederick, MD, USA; Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Claire E Berryman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - J Philip Karl
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Melissa Harris
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Stefan M Pasiakos
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
| | - Emma Rice
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew Duncan
- Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Harris R Lieberman
- Military Nutrition Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), Natick, MA, USA
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6
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Finley B, Kalwij A, Kapteyn A. Born to be wild: Second-to-fourth digit length ratio and risk preferences. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2022; 47:101178. [PMID: 36084390 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The second-to-fourth digit length ratio of an individual's hand (digit ratio) is a putative biomarker for prenatal exposure to testosterone. We examine the hypothesized negative association between the digit ratio and the preference for risk taking within a large U.S. population survey. Our statistical framework provides a cardinal proxy for the true digit ratio based on ordinal digit ratio measurements and accounts for measurement error under the assumptions of Gaussianity and time-invariant true digit ratios. Our empirical findings support the hypothesis and suggest a meaningful biological basis for risk preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adriaan Kalwij
- Utrecht University School of Economics, The Netherlands.
| | - Arie Kapteyn
- Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California, United States.
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7
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Abstract
Objective: The literature on testosterone (T) in men reports diverse correlates of T, some with minimal empirical support and most with little indication of how they change with advancing age. We test eight putative correlations across age.Method: Correlations were tested on a large sample of British men.Results: Seven of eight correlations replicated. Most change across men's life courses. The diurnal cycle of T is considerably weaker among older than younger men. Single men have higher T than married men of the same age; however, this difference lessens as men get older. Elevated T among smokers is less pronounced as men age. The inverse relationship between obesity and T is sustained across the adult age range. The lessening of T with age is well established, however there is disagreement about the course of decline. We find T having a steep decline around age 30, with possibly a rebound around age 50, after which levels remain roughly constant. Correlations involving health become stronger among older men. After age 30 or 40, the inverse relationships between T and HbA1c, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome all become increasingly significant, though not necessarily strong in magnitude.Conclusion: Most putative correlates of T are replicated. There is a basis here for the generalization that among older men, those healthy have higher T than those who are not, but not a lot higher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricky Kanabar
- Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Allan Mazur
- Maxwell School, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Plum
- NZWRI, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Julian Schmied
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
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8
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Czarna AZ, Ziemiańska M, Pawlicki P, Carré JM, Sedikides C. Narcissism moderates the association between basal testosterone and generosity in men. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105265. [PMID: 36155912 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research has linked hormones to behavioral outcomes in intricate ways, often moderated by psychological dispositions. The associations between testosterone and antisocial or prosocial outcomes also depend on dispositions relevant to status and dominance. In two studies (N1 = 68, N2 = 83), we investigated whether endogenous testosterone, measured in saliva, and narcissism, a psychological variable highly relevant to status motivation, interactively predicted men's preferences regarding resource allocation. Narcissism moderated the links between testosterone and social value orientation: among low narcissists testosterone negatively predicted generosity in resource allocation and probability of endorsing a prosocial (vs. pro-self) value orientation, whereas among high narcissists testosterone tended to positively predict generosity and the probability of endorsing a prosocial (vs. pro-self) value orientation. We discuss these results as examples of calibrating effects of testosterone on human behavior, serving to increase and maintain social status. We advocate the relevance of psychological dispositions, alongside situations, when examining the role of T in social outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Z Czarna
- Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Stanisława Łojasiewicza 4, 30-348 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Ziemiańska
- Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Stanisława Łojasiewicza 4, 30-348 Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Pawlicki
- Center of Experimental and Innovative Medicine, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Redzina 1c, 30-248 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Justin M Carré
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences - Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Constantine Sedikides
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, England, United Kingdom.
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9
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Gender Differences in Enterprise Performance During the COVID-19
Crisis: Do Public Policy Responses Matter? ENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE 2022; 46:1374-1401. [PMCID: PMC8969023 DOI: 10.1177/10422587221077222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 crisis has introduced unique tradeoffs between health and economic
risk, leading to a “life vs. livelihoods conundrum.” This study contributes to
research on adversity and entrepreneurship by examining the implications of the
pandemic for gender differences in enterprise performance. We further consider
how public policy responses in the domains of public health and economic support
moderate the potential gendered effects of the pandemic. Data analysis of more
than 20,000 enterprises across 38 countries shows that women-owned enterprises
were more adversely affected by the pandemic, and that stronger public health
policy responses helped reduce the observed gap in performance.
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10
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Otterbring T, Elbæk CT, Lu C. Can Digit Ratio and Gender Identity Predict Preferences for Consumption Options With a Distinct Gender Image? Front Psychol 2022; 13:923709. [PMID: 35756313 PMCID: PMC9220292 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated whether individuals' preferences for masculine (vs. feminine) consumption options could be predicted by a biological sex cue (the 2D:4D digit ratio; a biomarker linked to prenatal testosterone exposure), and a psychological gender cue (self-perceived gender identity). Chinese participants (N = 216) indicated their preferences for a series of binary options that differed in their perceived gender image (e.g., romantic comedy vs. action thriller; pop music vs. hard rock), with one of the options evaluated as relatively more feminine and the other viewed as comparably more masculine. Participants also self-reported their gender identity and the length of their index and ring fingers, which was used to calculate their 2D:4D digit ratios. A low (male-typical) digit ratio and a masculine gender identity were both associated with more masculine preferences, regardless of participants' biological sex. However, a low digit ratio predicted preferences for masculine consumption options only in female participants with a masculine gender identity, but not in those with a feminine gender identity. These findings add to the literature on whether and when biological sex cues and psychological gender cues can predict preferences for options with a distinct gender image and suggest that the connection between these cues is more complex in women than in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Otterbring
- Department of Management, School of Business and Law, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
- Institute of Retail Economics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Chaoren Lu
- Kunming Academy of Governance, Kunming, China
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11
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White SF, Estrada Gonzalez SM, Moriarty EM. Raging Hormones: Why Age-Based Etiological Conceptualizations of the Development of Antisocial Behavior Are Insufficient. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:853697. [PMID: 35493950 PMCID: PMC9041342 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.853697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental science, particularly developmental neuroscience, has substantially influenced the modern legal system. However, this science has typically failed to consider the role of puberty and pubertal hormones on development when considering antisocial behavior. This review describes major theoretical positions on the developmental neuroscience of antisocial behavior and highlights where basic developmental neuroscience suggests that the role of puberty and pubertal hormones should be considered. The implications of the current state of the science with respect to developmental neuroscience is considered, particularly what is known in light of development beyond puberty. This review shows that development continues to an older age for many youth than the legal system typically acknowledges. The plasticity of the brain that this continued development implies has implications for the outcome of interventions in the legal system in ways that have not been explored. Future directions for both developmental scientists and legal professions are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart F. White
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, United States
- *Correspondence: Stuart F. White,
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12
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Dreyer AJ, Stephen D, Human R, Swanepoel TL, Adams L, O'Neill A, Jacobs WJ, Thomas KGF. Risky Decision Making Under Stressful Conditions: Men and Women With Smaller Cortisol Elevations Make Riskier Social and Economic Decisions. Front Psychol 2022; 13:810031. [PMID: 35185730 PMCID: PMC8854750 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.810031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Men often make riskier decisions than women across a wide range of real-life behaviors. Whether this sex difference is accentuated, diminished, or stable under stressful conditions is, however, contested in the scientific literature. A critical blind spot lies amid this contestation: Most studies use standardized, laboratory-based, cognitive measures of decision making rather than complex real-life social simulation tasks to assess risk-related behavior. To address this blind spot, we investigated the effects of acute psychosocial stress on risk decision making in men and women (N = 80) using a standardized cognitive measure (the Iowa Gambling Task; IGT) and a novel task that simulated a real-life social situation (an online chatroom in which participants interacted with other men and women in sexually suggestive scenarios). Participants were exposed to either an acute psychosocial stressor or an equivalent control condition. Stressor-exposed participants were further characterized as high- or low-cortisol responders. Results confirmed that the experimental manipulation was effective. On the IGT, participants characterized as low-cortisol responders (as well as those in the Non-Stress group) made significantly riskier decisions than those characterized as high-cortisol responders. Similarly, in the online chatroom, participants characterized as low-cortisol responders (but not those characterized as high-cortisol responders) were, relative to those in the Non-Stress group, significantly more likely to make risky decisions. Together, these results suggest that at lower levels of cortisol both men and women tend to make riskier decisions in both economic and social spheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Dreyer
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dale Stephen
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Robyn Human
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tarah L Swanepoel
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Leanne Adams
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Aimee O'Neill
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - W Jake Jacobs
- Anxiety Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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13
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Stanton SJ, Welker KM, Bonin PL, Goldfarb B, Carré JM. The effect of testosterone on economic risk-taking: A multi-study, multi-method investigation. Horm Behav 2021; 134:105014. [PMID: 34214918 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone has been suggested to influence individuals' economic decision making, yet the effects of testosterone on economic behavior are not well-understood and existing research is equivocal. In response, in three studies, we examined the extent to which testosterone affected or was associated with several different facets of economic decision making. Study 1 was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study examining loss aversion and risk-taking (N = 26), whereas Study 2 was a larger double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects study examining loss aversion and risk-taking behavior (N = 117). As a methodological compliment, Study 3 was a larger correlational design (N = 213) with a highly accurate measure of endogenous testosterone examining a wider range of economic behaviors and trait-like preferences. Broadly, the results of all three studies suggest no consistent relationship between testosterone and financial behavior or preferences. Although there were significant effects in specific cases, these findings did not replicate in other studies or would not remain significant when controlling for family-wise error rate. We consider potential contextual moderators that may determine under what circumstances testosterone affects economic decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Stanton
- 420 Elliott Hall, School of Business Administration, Oakland University, 2200 N. Squirrel Rd., Rochester, MI 48309, United States of America.
| | | | - Pierre L Bonin
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd., Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Bernard Goldfarb
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd., Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada.
| | - Justin M Carré
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay P1B 8L7, Ontario, Canada.
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15
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Amin B, Jennings DJ, Smith AF, Quinn M, Chari S, Haigh A, Matas D, Koren L, Ciuti S. In utero accumulated steroids predict neonate anti‐predator response in a wild mammal. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bawan Amin
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | | | - Adam F. Smith
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Matthew Quinn
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Srivats Chari
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Amy Haigh
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
| | - Devorah Matas
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences Bar‐Ilan University Ramat‐Gan Israel
| | - Lee Koren
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences Bar‐Ilan University Ramat‐Gan Israel
| | - Simone Ciuti
- Laboratory of Wildlife Ecology and Behaviour School of Biology and Environmental Science University College Dublin Dublin Ireland
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16
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Testosterone reduces generosity through cortical and subcortical mechanisms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2021745118. [PMID: 33723066 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021745118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence has linked testosterone, a major sex hormone, to selfishness in economic decision-making. Here, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms through which testosterone reduces generosity by combining functional MRI with pharmacological manipulation among healthy young males in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design. After testosterone or placebo gel administration, participants performed a social discounting task in which they chose between selfish options (benefiting only the participant) and generous options (providing also some benefit to another person at a particular social distance). At the behavioral level, testosterone reduced generosity compared to the placebo. At the neural level (n = 60), the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) encoded the other-regarding value of the generous option during generous choices, and this effect was attenuated by testosterone, suggesting that testosterone reduced the consideration of other's welfare as underpinned by TPJ activity. Moreover, TPJ activity more strongly reflected individual differences in generosity in the placebo than the testosterone group. Furthermore, testosterone weakened the relation between the other-regarding value of generous decisions and connectivity between the TPJ and a region extending from the insula into the striatum. Together, these findings suggest that a network encompassing both cortical and subcortical components underpins the effects of testosterone on social preferences.
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17
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Luoto S, Varella MAC. Pandemic Leadership: Sex Differences and Their Evolutionary-Developmental Origins. Front Psychol 2021; 12:633862. [PMID: 33815218 PMCID: PMC8015803 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global societal, economic, and social upheaval unseen in living memory. There have been substantial cross-national differences in the kinds of policies implemented by political decision-makers to prevent the spread of the virus, to test the population, and to manage infected patients. Among other factors, these policies vary with politicians' sex: early findings indicate that, on average, female leaders seem more focused on minimizing direct human suffering caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, while male leaders implement riskier short-term decisions, possibly aiming to minimize economic disruptions. These sex differences are consistent with broader findings in psychology, reflecting women's stronger empathy, higher pathogen disgust, health concern, care-taking orientation, and dislike for the suffering of other people-as well as men's higher risk-taking, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, narcissism, and focus on financial indicators of success and status. This review article contextualizes sex differences in pandemic leadership in an evolutionary framework. Evolution by natural selection is the only known process in nature that organizes organisms into higher degrees of functional order, or counteracts the unavoidable disorder that would otherwise ensue, and is therefore essential for explaining the origins of human sex differences. Differential sexual selection and parental investment between males and females, together with the sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain, drive sex differences in cognition and behavioral dispositions, underlying men's and women's leadership styles and decision-making during a global pandemic. According to the sexually dimorphic leadership specialization hypothesis, general psychobehavioral sex differences have been exapted during human evolution to create sexually dimorphic leadership styles. They may be facultatively co-opted by societies and/or followers when facing different kinds of ecological and/or sociopolitical threats, such as disease outbreaks or intergroup aggression. Early evidence indicates that against the invisible viral foe that can bring nations to their knees, the strategic circumspection of empathic feminine health "worriers" may bring more effective and humanitarian outcomes than the devil-may-care incaution of masculine risk-taking "warriors".
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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18
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Apalkova Y, Butovskaya ML, Shackelford TK, Fink B. Personality, aggression, sensation seeking, and hormonal responses to challenge in Russian alpinists and special operation forces. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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19
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Chierchia G, Przyrembel M, Lesemann FP, Bosworth S, Snower D, Singer T. Navigating Motivation: A Semantic and Subjective Atlas of 7 Motives. Front Psychol 2021; 11:568064. [PMID: 33584405 PMCID: PMC7874174 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Research from psychology, neurobiology and behavioral economics indicates that a binary view of motivation, based on approach and avoidance, may be too reductive. Instead, a literature review suggests that at least seven distinct motives are likely to affect human decisions: "consumption/resource seeking," "care," "affiliation," "achievement," "status-power," "threat approach" (or anger), and "threat avoidance" (or fear). To explore the conceptual distinctness and relatedness of these motives, we conducted a semantic categorization task. Here, participants were to assign provided words to one of the motives. By applying principal component analysis to the categorization assignments we represent the semantic inter-relations of these motives on a two-dimensional space, a "semantic atlas." This atlas suggests that, while care and affiliation are conceptually close, affiliation is closer to threat avoidance (or fear); opposite to these motives we find achievement, consumption and power, with the latter lying closer to threat approach (or anger). In a second study, we asked participants to rate how well the motive-specific words obtained in the first study described their currently experienced feelings. We find that semantically close motives are also more likely to be experienced together, that is, we replicate most of the semantic relations in the "subjective atlas." We discuss our findings in comparison to other multi-dimensional models of motivation, which show clear similarities. In addition to these motivational atlases, we provide a database of motive-specific words, together with the valence and arousal scores. These can be used for future research on the influence of motives on decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Chierchia
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marisa Przyrembel
- Akkon University of Applied Sciences for Human Sciences, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Dennis Snower
- Department of Economics, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany
- Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
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20
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De Petrillo F, Rosati AG. Variation in primate decision-making under uncertainty and the roots of human economic behaviour. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190671. [PMID: 33423637 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty is a ubiquitous component of human economic behaviour, yet people can vary in their preferences for risk across populations, individuals and different points in time. As uncertainty also characterizes many aspects of animal decision-making, comparative research can help evaluate different potential mechanisms that generate this variation, including the role of biological differences or maturational change versus cultural learning, as well as identify human-unique components of economic decision-making. Here, we examine decision-making under risk across non-human primates, our closest relatives. We first review theoretical approaches and current methods for understanding decision-making in animals. We then assess the current evidence for variation in animal preferences between species and populations, between individuals based on personality, sex and age, and finally, between different contexts and individual states. We then use these primate data to evaluate the processes that can shape human decision-making strategies and identify the primate foundations of human economic behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'Existence and prevalence of economic behaviours among non-human primates'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca De Petrillo
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse, Occitanie, France.,Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva e Centro Primati, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Lazio, Italy.,Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alexandra G Rosati
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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21
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Nepomuceno MV, Stenstrom E. Consumption on steroids: The effect of testosterone on preferences for conspicuous consumption and the moderating role of intrasexual competition. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric Stenstrom
- Marketing Department, Farmer School of Business Miami University Oxford OH USA
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22
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van Leeuwen B, Smeets P, Bovet J, Nave G, Stieglitz J, Whitehouse A. Do sex hormones at birth predict later-life economic preferences? Evidence from a pregnancy birth cohort study. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201756. [PMID: 33352071 PMCID: PMC7779492 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Economic preferences may be shaped by exposure to sex hormones around birth. Prior studies of economic preferences and numerous other phenotypic characteristics use digit ratios (2D : 4D), a purported proxy for prenatal testosterone exposure, whose validity has recently been questioned. We use direct measures of neonatal sex hormones (testosterone and oestrogen), measured from umbilical cord blood (n = 200) to investigate their association with later-life economic preferences (risk preferences, competitiveness, time preferences and social preferences) in an Australian cohort (Raine Study Gen2). We find no significant associations between testosterone at birth and preferences, except for competitiveness, where the effect runs opposite to the expected direction. Point estimates are between 0.05-0.09 percentage points (pp) and 0.003-0.14 s.d. We similarly find no significant associations between 2D : 4D and preferences (n = 533, point estimates 0.003-0.02 pp and 0.001-0.06 s.d.). Our sample size allows detecting effects larger than 0.11 pp or 0.22 s.d. for testosterone at birth, and 0.07 pp or 0.14 s.d. for 2D : 4D (α = 0.05 and power = 0.90). Equivalence tests show that most effects are unlikely to be larger than these bounds. Our results suggest a reinterpretation of prior findings relating 2D : 4D to economic preferences, and highlight the importance of future large-sample studies that permit detection of small effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris van Leeuwen
- Department of Economics, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Smeets
- Department of Finance, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeanne Bovet
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gideon Nave
- Department of Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, University of Toulouse 1 Capitole, Toulouse, France
| | - Andrew Whitehouse
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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23
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Hornung J, Lewis CA, Derntl B. Sex hormones and human brain function. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:195-207. [PMID: 33008525 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00014-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sex hormones have organizational and activational effects on the human brain and can interact with the neurotransmitter systems. These biologic mechanisms may have a far-reaching impact, with both behavioral consequences and structural as well as functional brain modulation. The impact of cycling hormone levels throughout the menstrual cycle on cognitive and emotion processing has especially received some attention recently. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to give an overview of findings regarding the effects of estradiol and progesterone, but also testosterone, on functional brain domains comprising cognition, emotion, and reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hornung
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carolin A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Patel
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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25
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Benenson JF, Abadzi H. Contest versus scramble competition: sex differences in the quest for status. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 33:62-68. [PMID: 31400660 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Both sexes benefit from attaining higher status than same-sex peers, but each sex employs distinctive competitive tactics. Men engage in conspicuous public contests for status and directly interfere with others' success. Despite frequent and intense contests which occasionally turn lethal, men typically employ ritualized tactics and accept status differentials within a group. More recently, research has examined women's subtle, safe, and often solitary, competitive tactics. Women's main competitive tactics consist of maintaining a few long-term alliances and gaining advantages when competitors are not present. When competitors are present, women utilize leveling, social exclusion, and low-cost forms of contest competition to best other women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce F Benenson
- Harvard University, Department of Human Evolutionary, Biology, United States.
| | - Helen Abadzi
- University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Psychology, United States
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26
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Bovet J. Evolutionary Theories and Men's Preferences for Women's Waist-to-Hip Ratio: Which Hypotheses Remain? A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1221. [PMID: 31244708 PMCID: PMC6563790 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last 25 years, a large amount of research has been dedicated to identifying men's preferences for women's physical features, and the evolutionary benefits associated with such preferences. Today, this area of research generates substantial controversy and criticism. I argue that part of the crisis is due to inaccuracies in the evolutionary hypotheses used in the field. For this review, I focus on the extensive literature regarding men's adaptive preferences for women's waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), which has become a classic example of the just-so storytelling contributing to the general mistrust toward evolutionary explanations of human behavior. The issues in this literature originate in the vagueness and incompleteness of the theorizing of the evolutionary mechanisms leading to mate preferences. Authors seem to have rushed into testing and debating the effects of WHR on women's attractiveness under various conditions and using different stimuli, without first establishing (a) clear definitions of the central evolution concepts (e.g., female mate value is often reduced to an imprecise concept of "health-and-fertility"), and (b) a complete overview of the distinct evolutionary paths potentially at work (e.g., focusing on fecundability while omitting descendants' quality). Unsound theoretical foundations will lead to imprecise predictions which cannot properly be tested, thus ultimately resulting in the premature rejection of an evolutionary explanation to human mate preferences. This paper provides the first comprehensive review of the existing hypotheses on why men's preferences for a certain WHR in women might be adaptive, as well as an analysis of the theoretical credibility of these hypotheses. By dissecting the evolutionary reasoning behind each hypothesis, I show which hypotheses are plausible and which are unfit to account for men's preferences for female WHR. Moreover, the most cited hypotheses (e.g., WHR as a cue of health or fecundity) are found to not necessarily be the ones with the strongest theoretical support, and some promising hypotheses (e.g., WHR as a cue of parity or current pregnancy) have seemingly been mostly overlooked. Finally, I suggest some directions for future studies on human mate choice, to move this evolutionary psychology literature toward a stronger theoretical foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Bovet
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
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27
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Cook CJ, Crewther BT. Within- and between-person variation in morning testosterone is associated with economic risk-related decisions in athletic women across the menstrual cycle. Horm Behav 2019; 112:77-80. [PMID: 30980789 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Literature suggests that women experience ovulatory shifts in risk-taking behaviours across different domains, which might be partly attributed to changes in testosterone (T). Thus, we investigated associations between menstrual variability in T concentrations and economic risk-related decisions among athletic women. Thirty-five women were monitored across three consecutive menstrual cycles. Testing occurred on day seven (D7), 14 (D14) and 21 (D21) following the onset of menses. The morning (7 to 8 am) assessment of salivary T (sal-T) and cortisol (sal-C) was followed by the economic Hawk-Dove game (11 am to 12 pm) played in pairs, where hawk decisions were used to index risk. Morning sal-T concentration increased from D7 to D14, before decreasing on D21 (p < 0.001), representing moderate effect size (ES) changes of 0.6 to 0.8. Morning sal-C did not vary over time. Hawk choices paralleled the sal-T results, being elevated on D14 (p < 0.001) with large ES changes of 1.8. Regression analyses revealed that morning sal-T concentration was positively related (p ≤ 0.01) to the number of hawks chosen between- (beta = 0.47) and within-participants (beta = 0.10) when controlling for training hours and menstrual day. In summary, the risk-related choices of athletic women during a dyadic contest covaried with morning sal-T concentrations across the menstrual cycle. Both outcomes were positively correlated on a within- and between-person level. Confirming the major sources of T variation across the menstrual cycle, whilst discerning its relationship with other risk-related behaviours, would be worthwhile avenues for research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J Cook
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia; School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, Australia; Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College, UK
| | - Blair T Crewther
- Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College, UK; Institute of Sport - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
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28
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Alacreu‐Crespo A, Costa R, Abad‐Tortosa D, Hidalgo V, Salvador A, Serrano MÁ. Hormonal changes after competition predict sex‐differentiated decision‐making. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Alacreu‐Crespo
- Department of PsychobiologyUniversity of Valencia Valencia Spain
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post‐Acute CareCHU Montpellier Montpellier France
- Neuropsychiatry, Epidemiological and Clinical Research, INSERMUniversity of Montpellier Montpellier France
| | - Raquel Costa
- Department of PsychobiologyUniversity of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | | | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCALUniversity of Valencia Valencia Spain
- Aragon Health Research Institute, Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of PsychobiologyUniversity of Zaragoza Teruel Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Department of PsychobiologyUniversity of Valencia Valencia Spain
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCALUniversity of Valencia Valencia Spain
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29
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Hughes A, Kumari M. Testosterone, risk, and socioeconomic position in British men: Exploring causal directionality. Soc Sci Med 2019; 220:129-140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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30
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Liao J, Zhang Y, Li Y, Li H, Zilioli S, Wu Y. Exogenous Testosterone Increases Decoy Effect in Healthy Males. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2188. [PMID: 30483195 PMCID: PMC6243091 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing interest in the role played by testosterone in economic decision-making and social cognition. However, despite the growing body of findings in this field of research, no empirical study to date has tested whether testosterone modulates decision-making when an asymmetrically dominated decoy option is introduced in a choice set. Within a choice set that comprises two options, an asymmetrically dominated decoy option is a third option that, when introduced in the choice set, is much worse than one of the existing options, but comparable to the other existing option. Introduction of a decoy option leads to a preference toward the dominating option (i.e., decoy effect). Healthy male participants (n = 63) received a single-dose of 150 mg testosterone gel in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design. At 180 min post-administration, participants took part in a decision-making task to elicit decoy effect. Results showed that participants in the testosterone group made less consistent choices and more target choices (i.e., decoy effect) than participants in the placebo group. These findings are interpreted in light of the dual-process theory and are in line with existing evidence suggesting that testosterone promotes more intuitive and automatic judgments in human decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Liao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | - Yingchun Li
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | - Hong Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.,Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Yin Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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31
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Patel V, Saxena S, Lund C, Thornicroft G, Baingana F, Bolton P, Chisholm D, Collins PY, Cooper JL, Eaton J, Herrman H, Herzallah MM, Huang Y, Jordans MJD, Kleinman A, Medina-Mora ME, Morgan E, Niaz U, Omigbodun O, Prince M, Rahman A, Saraceno B, Sarkar BK, De Silva M, Singh I, Stein DJ, Sunkel C, UnÜtzer JÜ. The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. Lancet 2018; 392:1553-1598. [PMID: 30314863 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(18)31612-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1175] [Impact Index Per Article: 195.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Patel
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Sangath, Goa, India; Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
| | - Shekhar Saxena
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Crick Lund
- Centre for Global Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Graham Thornicroft
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London UK
| | - Florence Baingana
- WHO Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone; Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Paul Bolton
- Department of International Health and Department of Mental Health, Center for Humanitarian Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dan Chisholm
- WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pamela Y Collins
- University of Washington School of Medicine and School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Janice L Cooper
- The Carter Center, Monrovia, Liberia; Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Julian Eaton
- CBM International, Bensheim, Germany; Centre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Helen Herrman
- Orygen, National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; World Psychiatric Association, Melbourne, VIC Australia; WHO Collaborating Centre in Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC Australia
| | - Mohammad M Herzallah
- Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine; Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yueqin Huang
- National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Mark J D Jordans
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Research and Development, War Child, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arthur Kleinman
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Ellen Morgan
- Templeton World Charity Foundation, Nassau, The Bahamas
| | - Unaiza Niaz
- Psychiatric Clinic and Stress Research Centre, Karachi, Pakistan; University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan; Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Olayinka Omigbodun
- College of Medicine and Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Martin Prince
- King's Global Health Institute, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Atif Rahman
- University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Human Development Research Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Benedetto Saraceno
- School of Medical Sciences, University Nova of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Lisbon Institute of Global Mental Health, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Bidyut K Sarkar
- PRIDE Project, Sangath, India; Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Ilina Singh
- Department of Psychiatry and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charlene Sunkel
- South African Federation for Mental Health, Johannesburg, South Africa; Movement for Global Mental Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - JÜrgen UnÜtzer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Henderson A, Thoelen G, Nadler A, Barraza J, Nave G. Testing the influence of testosterone administration on men's honesty in a large laboratory experiment. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11556. [PMID: 30068962 PMCID: PMC6070559 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29928-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of testosterone on decision-making is a growing literature, with several reports of economically relevant outcomes. Similar to Wibral et al. (2012), we investigate the effects of exogenous testosterone administration on deception in a double-blind placebo controlled study. Participants (N = 242) were asked to roll a die in private and were paid according to their reported roll, which creates the opportunity to lie about the outcome to increase earnings. We find evidence for self-serving lying in both treatment and control groups and a statistically insignificant negative effect (d = −0.17, 95% CI[−0.42, 0.08]) indicating more honest behavior (i.e., lower reports) following testosterone administration. Although insignificant, the direction was the same as in the Wibral et al. study, and the meta-analytic effect of the two studies demonstrates lower reporting (i.e., more honesty) following testosterone (vs. placebo) administration, significant at the 0.05 level (d = −0.27, 95% CI[−0.49, −0.06]). We discuss how our results and methodology compare with Wibral et al. and identify potential causes for differences in findings. Finally, we consider several plausible connections between testosterone and lying that may be further investigated using alternative methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Henderson
- University of California San Diego, Rady School of Management, San Diego, 92093, United States
| | - Garrett Thoelen
- Claremont Graduate University, Department of Politics and Economics, Claremont, 91711, United States
| | - Amos Nadler
- Western University, Ivey Business School, London, ON, N6G 0N1, Canada
| | - Jorge Barraza
- University of Southern California, Dornsife, Los Angeles, 90089, United States
| | - Gideon Nave
- University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, Philadelphia, 19104, United States.
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Kurath J, Mata R. Individual differences in risk taking and endogeneous levels of testosterone, estradiol, and cortisol: A systematic literature search and three independent meta-analyses. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 90:428-446. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Herbert J. Testosterone, Cortisol and Financial Risk-Taking. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:101. [PMID: 29867399 PMCID: PMC5964298 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Both testosterone and cortisol have major actions on financial decision-making closely related to their primary biological functions, reproductive success and response to stress, respectively. Financial risk-taking represents a particular example of strategic decisions made in the context of choice under conditions of uncertainty. Such decisions have multiple components, and this article considers how much we know of how either hormone affects risk-appetite, reward value, information processing and estimation of the costs and benefits of potential success or failure, both personal and social. It also considers how far we can map these actions on neural mechanisms underlying risk appetite and decision-making, with particular reference to areas of the brain concerned in either cognitive or emotional functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Herbert
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Nofsinger JR, Patterson FM, Shank CA. Decision-making, financial risk aversion, and behavioral biases: The role of testosterone and stress. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2018; 29:1-16. [PMID: 29413584 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We examine the relation between testosterone, cortisol, and financial decisions in a sample of naïve investors. We find that testosterone level is positively related to excess risk-taking, whereas cortisol level is negatively related to excess risk-taking (correlation coefficient [r]: 0.75 and -0.21, respectively). Additionally, we find support for the dual-hormone hypothesis in a financial context. Specifically, the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio is significantly related to loss aversion. Individuals with a higher ratio are 3.4 times more likely to sell losing stocks (standard error [SE]: 1.63). Furthermore, we find a positive feedback loop between financial success, testosterone, and cortisol. Specifically, financial success is significantly related to higher post-trial testosterone and cortisol by a factor of 0.53 (SE: 0.14). Finally, we find that in a competitive environment, testosterone level increases significantly, leading to greater risk-taking than in noncompetitive environment. Overall, this study underscores the importance of the endocrine system on financial decision-making. The results of this study are relevant to a broad audience, including investors looking to optimize financial performance, industry human resources, market regulators, and researchers.
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Alonso J, Di Paolo R, Ponti G, Sartarelli M. Facts and Misconceptions about 2D:4D, Social and Risk Preferences. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:22. [PMID: 29487510 PMCID: PMC5816919 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We study how the ratio between the length of the second and fourth digit (2D:4D) correlates with choices in social and risk preferences elicitation tasks by building a large dataset from five experimental projects with more than 800 subjects. Our results confirm the recent literature that downplays the link between 2D:4D and many domains of economic interest, such as social and risk preferences. As for the former, we find that social preferences are significantly lower when 2D:4D is above the median value only for subjects with low cognitive ability. As for the latter, we find that a high 2D:4D is not correlated with the frequency of subjects' risky choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Alonso
- Departamento de Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig/Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Roberto Di Paolo
- Departamento de Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig/Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
| | - Giovanni Ponti
- Departamento de Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig/Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.,Department of Economics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.,Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli (LUISS), Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Sartarelli
- Departamento de Fundamentos de Análisis Económico, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig/Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain
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Lima de Miranda K, Neyse L, Schmidt U. Risk Preferences and Predictions about Others: No Association with 2D:4D Ratio. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:9. [PMID: 29472846 PMCID: PMC5810266 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal androgen exposure affects the brain development of the fetus which may facilitate certain behaviors and decision patterns in the later life. The ratio between the lengths of second and the fourth fingers (2D:4D) is a negative biomarker of the ratio between prenatal androgen and estrogen exposure and men typically have lower ratios than women. In line with the typical findings suggesting that women are more risk averse than men, several studies have also shown negative relationships between 2D:4D and risk taking although the evidence is not conclusive. Previous studies have also reported that both men and women believe women are more risk averse than men. In the current study, we re-test the relationship between 2D:4D and risk preferences in a German student sample and also investigate whether the 2D:4D ratio is associated with people's perceptions about others' risk preferences. Following an incentivized risk elicitation task, we asked all participants their predictions about (i) others' responses (without sex specification), (ii) men's responses, and (iii) women's responses; then measured their 2D:4D ratios. In line with the previous findings, female participants in our sample were more risk averse. While both men and women underestimated other participants' (non sex-specific) and women's risky decisions on average, their predictions about men were accurate. We also found evidence for the false consensus effect, as risky choices are positively correlated with predictions about other participants' risky choices. The 2D:4D ratio was not directly associated either with risk preferences or the predictions of other participants' choices. An unexpected finding was that women with mid-range levels of 2D:4D estimated significantly larger sex differences in participants' decisions. This finding needs further testing in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Levent Neyse
- Kiel Institute for the World EconomyKiel, Germany
- SOEP at German Institute for Economic Research (DIW)Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schmidt
- Kiel Institute for the World EconomyKiel, Germany
- Department of Economics and Econometrics, University of JohannesburgJohannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Economics, University of KielKiel, Germany
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Aycinena D, Rentschler L. Discounting and Digit Ratio: Low 2D:4D Predicts Patience for a Sample of Females. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 11:257. [PMID: 29416505 PMCID: PMC5788003 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Inter-temporal trade-offs are ubiquitous in human decision making. We study the relationship between preferences over such trade-offs and the ratio of the second digit to that of the forth (2D:4D), a marker for pre-natal exposure to sex hormones. Specifically, we study whether 2D:4D affects discounting. Our sample consists of 419 female participants of a Guatemalan conditional cash transfer program who take part in an experiment. Their choices in the convex time budget (CTB) experimental task allow us to make inferences regarding their patience (discounting), while controlling for present-biasedness and preference for smoothing consumption (utility curvature). We find that women with lower digit ratios tend to be more patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Aycinena
- Departament of Economics, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Lucas Rentschler
- Department of Economics and Finance, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States
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Bönte W, Procher VD, Urbig D, Voracek M. Digit Ratio (2D:4D) Predicts Self-Reported Measures of General Competitiveness, but Not Behavior in Economic Experiments. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:238. [PMID: 29276479 PMCID: PMC5728070 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The ratio of index finger length to ring finger length (2D:4D) is considered to be a putative biomarker of prenatal androgen exposure (PAE), with previous research suggesting that 2D:4D is associated with human behaviors, especially sex-typical behaviors. This study empirically examines the relationship between 2D:4D and individual competitiveness, a behavioral trait that is found to be sexually dimorphic. We employ two related, but distinct, measures of competitiveness, namely behavioral measures obtained from economic experiments and psychometric self-reported measures. Our analyses are based on two independent data sets obtained from surveys and economic experiments with 461 visitors of a shopping mall (Study I) and 617 university students (Study II). The correlation between behavior in the economic experiment and digit ratios of both hands is not statistically significant in either study. In contrast, we find a negative and statistically significant relationship between psychometric self-reported measures of competitiveness and right hand digit ratios (R2D:4D) in both studies. This relationship is especially strong for younger people. Hence, this study provides some robust empirical evidence for a negative association between R2D:4D and self-reported competitiveness. We discuss potential reasons why digit ratio may relate differently to behaviors in specific economics experiments and to self-reported general competitiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Bönte
- Jackstädt Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.,Schumpeter School of Business and Economics, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.,Institute for Development Studies, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Vivien D Procher
- Jackstädt Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.,Schumpeter School of Business and Economics, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.,RWI-Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Essen, Germany
| | - Diemo Urbig
- Jackstädt Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany.,Schumpeter School of Business and Economics, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Martin Voracek
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Wu Y, Zilioli S, Eisenegger C, Clark L, Li H. The Effect of Testosterone Administration and Digit Ratio (2D:4D) on Implicit Preference for Status Goods in Healthy Males. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:193. [PMID: 29085287 PMCID: PMC5650616 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Testosterone has been linked to social status seeking in humans. The present study investigated the effects of testosterone administration on implicit and explicit preferences for status goods in healthy male participants (n = 64), using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design. We also investigated the interactive effect between second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D; i.e., a proximal index of prenatal testosterone) and testosterone treatment on status preferences. Results showed that testosterone administration has no discernable influence on self-reported willingness-to-pay (i.e., the explicit measure) or implicit attitudes towards status goods. Individuals with lower 2D:4D (i.e., more masculine) had more positive attitudes for high-status goods on an Implicit Association Task, and this association was abolished with testosterone administration. These data suggest interactive effects of acute testosterone administration and prenatal testosterone exposure on human social status seeking, and highlight the utility of implicit methods for measuring status-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Wu
- Research Center for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.,Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luke Clark
- Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hong Li
- Research Center for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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41
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Kluen LM, Agorastos A, Wiedemann K, Schwabe L. Cortisol boosts risky decision-making behavior in men but not in women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 84:181-189. [PMID: 28750292 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.07.240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Acute stress may escalate risky decision-making in men, while there is no such effect in women. Although first evidence links these gender-specific effects of stress to stress-induced changes in cortisol, whether elevated cortisol is indeed sufficient to boost risk-taking, whether a potential cortisol effect depends on simultaneous noradrenergic activation, and whether cortisol and noradrenergic activation exert distinct effects on risk-taking in men and women is unknown. In this experiment, we therefore set out to elucidate the impact of cortisol and noradrenergic stimulation on risky decision-making in men and women. In a fully-crossed, placebo-controlled, double-blind design, male and female participants received orally either a placebo, hydrocortisone, yohimbine, an alpha-2-adrenoceptor-antagonist leading to increased noradrenergic stimulation, or both drugs before completing the balloon analogue risk task, a validated measure of risk-taking. Overall, participants' choice was risk-sensitive as reflected in reduced responding in high- compared to moderate- and low-risk conditions. Cortisol, however, led to a striking increase in risk-taking in men, whereas it had no effect on risk-taking behavior in women. Yohimbine had no such effect and the gender-specific effect of cortisol was not modulated by yohimbine. Our data show that cortisol boosts risk-taking behavior in men but not in women. This differential effect of cortisol on risk-taking may drive gender differences in risky decision-making under stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agorastos Agorastos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Hamburg, Germany.
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Bijleveld E, Baalbergen J. Prenatal exposure to testosterone (2D:4D) and social hierarchy together predict voice behavior in bankers. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180008. [PMID: 28658299 PMCID: PMC5489198 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prohibitive voice behaviors are employees' expressions of concern about practices, incidents, or behaviors that may potentially harm the organization. In this study, we examined a potential biological correlate of prohibitive voice: prenatal exposure to testosterone. In a sample of bankers, we used 2D:4D (i.e., the ratio of the length of the index finger to the length of the ring finger) as a marker for prenatal exposure to testosterone (lower 2D:4D suggests higher prenatal exposure to testosterone). We used a self-report scale to measure prohibitive voice. For low-ranked employees, lower 2D:4D was related to using less voice. No such relation was found for high-ranked employees. Conclusions should be drawn with caution, because the findings only applied to voice regarding the organization as a whole (and not to voice regarding the own team), and because of methodological limitations. However, the findings are consistent with the ideas that (a) people low in 2D:4D tend to strive to attain and maintain social status and that (b) remaining silent about perceived problems in the organization is-at least for low-ranked employees-a means to achieve this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Bijleveld
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Baalbergen
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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45
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Coates J, Gurnell M. Combining field work and laboratory work in the study of financial risk-taking. Horm Behav 2017; 92:13-19. [PMID: 28174099 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. Financial markets are periodically destabilized by bubbles and crashes during which investors display respectively what has been called "irrational exuberance" and "irrational pessimism". How can we best study these pathologies in competitive and risk-taking behaviours? In this article, we argue that a science of risk-taking and of the financial markets needs to draw heavily on physiology and especially endocrinology, due to their central roles in moderating human behaviour. Importantly, this science of competition and risk requires the same spectrum of research protocols as is found in mature biological and medical sciences, a spectrum running from field work conducted within financial institutions themselves to more controlled laboratory studies, which permit cause to be distinguished from effect. Such a spectrum of studies is especially important for translational behavioural science.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Coates
- Dewline Research, London, W8, United Kingdom.
| | - Mark Gurnell
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science & NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge & Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
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Smith KM, Apicella CL. Winners, losers, and posers: The effect of power poses on testosterone and risk-taking following competition. Horm Behav 2017; 92:172-181. [PMID: 27840104 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. The effect of postural power displays (i.e. power poses) on hormone levels and decision-making has recently been challenged. While Carney et al. (2010) found that holding brief postural displays of power leads to increased testosterone, decreased cortisol and greater economic risk taking, this failed to replicate in a recent high-powered study (Ranehill et al. 2015). It has been put forward that subtle differences in social context may account for the differences in results. Power displays naturally occur within the context of competitions, as do changes in hormones, and researchers have yet to examine the effects of poses within this ecologically relevant context. Using a large sample of 247 male participants, natural winners and losers of a physical competition were randomly assigned to hold a low, neutral or high-power postural display. We found no main effect of pose type on testosterone, cortisol, risk or feelings of power. Winners assigned to a high-power pose had a relative, albeit small, rise in testosterone compared to winners who held neutral or low-power poses. For losers, we found little evidence that high-power poses lead to increased testosterone relative to those holding neutral or low-powered poses. If anything, the reverse was observed - losers had a reduction in testosterone after holding high-power poses. To the extent that changes in testosterone modulate social behaviors adaptively, it is possible that the relative reduction in testosterone observed in losers taking high-powered poses is designed to inhibit further "winner-like" behavior that could result in continued defeat and harm. Still, effects were small, multiple comparisons were made, and the results ran counter to our predictions. We thus treat these conclusions as preliminary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher M Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3720 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Coren L Apicella
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3720 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Georgiev AV, Ryan CP, Gettler LT, McDade TW, Kuzawa CW. Second‐to‐fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is unrelated to measures of somatic reproductive effort among young men from Cebu, the Philippines. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:437-445. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Calen P. Ryan
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanston Illinois
| | - Lee T. Gettler
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Notre DameNotre Dame Indiana
- The Eck Institute for Global HealthUniversity of Notre DameNotre Dame Indiana
| | - Thomas W. McDade
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanston Illinois
- Institute for Policy ResearchNorthwestern UniversityEvanston Illinois
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of AnthropologyNorthwestern UniversityEvanston Illinois
- Institute for Policy ResearchNorthwestern UniversityEvanston Illinois
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Exploring Emergent and Poorly Understood Phenomena in the Strangest of Places: The Footprint of Discovery in Replications, Meta-Analyses, and Null Findings. ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT DISCOVERIES 2016. [DOI: 10.5465/amd.2016.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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49
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Wu Y, Liu J, Qu L, Eisenegger C, Clark L, Zhou X. Single dose testosterone administration reduces loss chasing in healthy females. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 71:54-7. [PMID: 27236486 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone has been linked to modulation of impulsivity and risky choice, potentially mediated by changes in reward or punishment sensitivity. This study investigated the effect of testosterone on risk-taking and the adjustment of risk-taking on trials following a gain or a loss. Loss chasing is operationalized herein as the propensity to recover losses by increasing risky choice. Healthy female participants (n=26) received a single-dose of 0.5mg sublingual testosterone in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. At 240min post-administration, participants performed a gambling task with a high and a low risk option. In the placebo condition, participants were more likely to choose the high risk option following losses compared to wins. This effect was abolished on the testosterone session. Ignoring prior outcomes, no overall changes in risk-taking were observed. Our data indicate that testosterone affects human decision-making via diminishing sensitivity to punishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Wu
- Research Center for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinting Liu
- Research Center for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, China; China Center for Special Economic Zone Research, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lujing Qu
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Biopsychology Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Luke Clark
- Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China; IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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