Men with high testosterone levels are more generous
প্রকাশ : ২৮ সেপ্টেম্বর, ২০১৬ ১২:৪৬:৫৪
Men with high testosterone levels are more generous
Dhaka times Desk
Testosterone has an image of being a ‘macho hormone’ – increasing muscle power as well as feelings of anger and aggression.
But scientists say that the hormone has another side too – making men more generous.
Researchers say that the extra generosity is a ‘status display’ designed to make a man with high testosterone seem more impressive among his peers.
The study by Jean-Claude Dreher from University College Dublin and colleagues investigated the effects of the hormone by injecting it into 20 young males, while 20 others were given a placebo.
They then took part in an experiment called the Ultimatum Game.
In this scenario, participants chose how to split 12 Euros with the other person.
The recipient has the opportunity to punish or reward their opponents – at a cost to themselves.
Those on testosterone were more likely to punish the other player – especially if they made unfair offers.
The findings support the idea that testosterone increases ‘aggressive responses to provocation’.
But the participants who were given testosterone received large offers they were more likely to be highly generous back.
The authors write in Proceeedings of the National Academy of Scientists: ‘This increased generosity in the absence of provocation indicates that testosterone can also cause pro-social behaviours that are appropriate with increasing status.
‘These findings are inconsistent with a simple relationship between testosterone and aggression and provide evidence for a more complex role for testosterone in driving status-enhancing behaviours in males.’
They add: ‘Our findings flatly contradict a simple link between testosterone and male aggression, a theory that would have predicted increased rejection and punishment of unfair offers and reduced reward of generous offers in those who had received testosterone.’
The researchers attempt to explain why testosterone may result in both increased aggression and generosity.
They suggest that in non-human primates, high testosterone levels in alpha males maintains the social hierarchy.
While alpha males – with high levels of testosterone - will punish those who step out of line, they will also share resources such as access to food and females for those who co-operate.
