Testosterone: Difference between revisions

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 (though the effect is generally weak<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453019301271</ref>), 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.