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Testosterone: Difference between revisions
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They also generally do not take into account the effects that the release of short bursts of T may play in mediating to outcome of dominance contests, though a growing literature on the "challenge hypothesis" of testosterone does. The challenge hypothesis states that testosterone will rise in men in contexts where male intersexual competition is particularly salient, such as male dominance contexts or in the presence of fertile females.<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0018506X08002183</ref> | They also generally do not take into account the effects that the release of short bursts of T may play in mediating to outcome of dominance contests, though a growing literature on the "challenge hypothesis" of testosterone does. The challenge hypothesis states that testosterone will rise in men in contexts where male intersexual competition is particularly salient, such as male dominance contexts or in the presence of fertile females.<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0018506X08002183</ref> | ||
Testosterone also very likely does not mediate any of these status-seeking behaviors on its own to a substantial degree, as interactions with other hormones such as cortisol,<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030645301500400X</ref> estrogen, prolactin, and various neurotransmitters such as serotonin<ref>https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11031-011-9264-3</ref> appear crucial in driving many of the behaviors linked to "high-T" in the popular imagination. | |||
==T and sexual behavior== | ==T and sexual behavior== | ||
Testosterone does seem to generally drive greater reproductive effort in males, and it is a highly replicable finding that men in committed relationships tend to have lower testosterone levels, possibly to promote greater pair-bonding in males.<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0018506X19300030</ref> Part of this link between lower T and being in a committed relationship may not be casual. Instead, it may stem from the apparent fact that lower testosterone men may be more pro-social, more generous to their female partners and that men with higher testosterone seem to have larger levels of conflict in their relationships, particularly in egalitarian societies that seek to reduce status competition among males.<ref>https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70958-3</ref> Thus men in committed relationships may be partly selected for low-T. | Testosterone does seem to generally drive greater reproductive effort in males, and it is a highly replicable finding that men in committed relationships tend to have lower testosterone levels, possibly to promote greater pair-bonding in males.<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0018506X19300030</ref> Part of this link between lower T and being in a committed relationship may not be casual. Instead, it may stem from the apparent fact that lower testosterone men may be more pro-social, more generous to their female partners and that men with higher testosterone seem to have larger levels of conflict in their relationships, particularly in egalitarian societies that seek to reduce status competition among males.<ref>https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70958-3</ref> Thus men in committed relationships may be partly selected for low-T. | ||
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A link between testosterone (and physical masculinization) and non-committal sexual strategies indicates that T is generally linked to a [[life history|fast life history]] strategy based around maximizing mating effort and minimizing parental care, a strategy that many high-T men seem unable to operationalize effectively in light of these weak effects for sexual success and T. | A link between testosterone (and physical masculinization) and non-committal sexual strategies indicates that T is generally linked to a [[life history|fast life history]] strategy based around maximizing mating effort and minimizing parental care, a strategy that many high-T men seem unable to operationalize effectively in light of these weak effects for sexual success and T. | ||
==Dual hormone hypothesis== | ==Dual hormone hypothesis== | ||
Many people associate testosterone with male sex drive, however, increased testosterone shows no relation to increased male sexual desire (with the concurrent presence of high cortisol levels). However, it is important to note that androgens generally have the effect of inhibiting cortisol release. | Many people associate testosterone with male sex drive, however, increased testosterone shows no relation to increased male sexual desire (with the concurrent presence of high cortisol levels). However, it is important to note that androgens generally have the effect of inhibiting cortisol release. | ||