Testosterone Does Not Alter Economic Decision Making In Men

Testosterone has agelong been linked to risk-taking, generosity, and competitiveness. But a caller large-scale study - nan biggest of its benignant - finds that men fixed testosterone made nan aforesaid economical choices arsenic those fixed a placebo. The study, led by researchers astatine nan Stockholm School of Economics successful Sweden and Nipissing University successful Canada, examined things for illustration men's inclination to return risk, enactment reasonably aliases compete pinch others.

"Earlier studies, often based connected mini samples, suggested that testosterone mightiness effect our willingness to return consequence aliases compete successful economical settings," says co-lead writer Anna Dreber, Professor astatine nan Department of Economics astatine SSE. "But successful this substantially larger research wherever we person besides pregistered really we would do nan study anterior to watching nan information to debar bias, we do not find immoderate effects of testosterone connected economical determination making. Our findings springiness america beardown grounds that short-term testosterone boosts don't meaningfully alteration men's economical choices."

Published successful nan Proceedings of nan National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), nan study included 1,000 men - 10 to 20 times much than emblematic anterior studies - betwixt 18 to 45 years aged who were recruited betwixt 2018 and 2023 astatine 3 locations successful Canada. Participants were randomly assigned to person either a azygous dose of 11 milligrams testosterone aliases a placebo, some administered done nan nose, successful a double-blind trial. After waiting 30 minutes for nan hormone to return effect, nan participants took portion successful a bid of well-known decision-making games and tasks utilized successful behavioral economics. These tasks measured things for illustration consequence taking, generosity, willingness to compete and fairness preferences.

The consequence showed nary statistically important effect of testosterone connected immoderate of nan 9 main outcomes. Men who received testosterone behaved, connected average, nan aforesaid arsenic those who received nan placebo.

"This study is important because it straight challenges nan communicative that short-term fluctuations successful testosterone explicate why immoderate group return bigger economical risks, cull unfair deals, aliases enactment much competitively successful life," says co-lead writer Justin M. Carré, Professor astatine nan Faculty of Arts and Science astatine Nipissing University successful Canada.

That doesn't mean testosterone has nary domiciled successful behavior. The researchers be aware that their study tested only 1 dosage and timing successful men. Different effects mightiness besides look nether replacement dosages aliases during semipermanent hormone fluctuations. Also, women were not portion of nan trial, leaving unfastened questions for early research.

"Our findings underscore nan worth of replication pinch larger samples and preregistered designs. Findings reported from mini experiments tin vanish erstwhile tested much rigorously," says co-lead writer Magnus Johannesson, Professor astatine nan Department of Economics astatine SSE.

In summation to SSE and Nipissing University, nan study progressive researchers astatine University of Pennsylvania, University of nan Fraser Valley, The University of Osaka, University of Colorado, University College London, and Oakland University.

Financing were provided by nan Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, nan Japan Society for nan Promotion of Science, nan NSF Early Career Development Program, and The Wharton School Dean's Research fund.

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