Literatura académica sobre el tema "Testosterone. Social status"

Although popular discussion of testosterone’s influence on males often centers on aggression and antisocial behavior, contemporary theorists have proposed that it instead enhances behaviors involved in obtaining and maintaining a high social status. Two central distinguishing but untested predictions of this theory are that testosterone selectively increases status-relevant aggressive behaviors, such as responses to provocation, but that it also promotes nonaggressive behaviors, such as generosity toward others, when they are appropriate for increasing status. Here, we tested these hypotheses in healthy young males by injecting testosterone enanthate or a placebo in a double-blind, between-subjects, randomized design (n = 40). Participants played a version of the Ultimatum Game that was modified so that, having accepted or rejected an offer from the proposer, participants then had the opportunity to punish or reward the proposer at a proportionate cost to themselves. We found that participants treated with testosterone were more likely to punish the proposer and that higher testosterone levels were specifically associated with increased punishment of proposers who made unfair offers, indicating that testosterone indeed potentiates aggressive responses to provocation. Furthermore, when participants administered testosterone received large offers, they were more likely to reward the proposer and also chose rewards of greater magnitude. This increased generosity in the absence of provocation indicates that testosterone can also cause prosocial behaviors that are appropriate for increasing status. These findings are inconsistent with a simple relationship between testosterone and aggression and provide causal evidence for a more complex role for testosterone in driving status-enhancing behaviors in males.

Several studies have implicated testosterone in the modulation of altruistic behaviours instrumental to advancing social status. Independent studies have also shown that people tend to behave more altruistically when being watched (i.e. audience effect). To date, little is known about whether testosterone could modulate the audience effect. In the current study, we tested the effect of testosterone on altruistic behaviour using a donation task, wherein participants were asked to either accept or reject a monetary transfer to a charity organization accompanying a personal cost either in the presence or absence of an observer. We administered testosterone gel or placebo to healthy young men ( n = 140) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, mixed design. Our results showed that participants were more likely to accept the monetary transfer to the charity when being observed compared to when they completed the task alone. More importantly, this audience effect was amplified among people receiving testosterone versus placebo. Our findings suggest that testosterone administration increases the audience effect and further buttress the social status hypothesis, according to which testosterone promotes status-seeking behaviour in a context-dependent manner.

Seasonal variations in LH, FSH, and testosterone secretion were investigated for adult Landrace boars housed in different social environments for 1 yr. Socially nonrestricted boars (n = 4) were penned adjacent to ovariectomized gilts that were hormonally brought into estrus every 2 wk, while socially restricted boars (n = 4) were kept in pens with solid walls. Mean hormone concentrations were determined from the assay of single AM and PM blood samples collected from the jugular vein by venipuncture once a month. In November, February, May and August, blood samples were collected serially over 12 h from jugular catheters for assessment of pulsatile LH and testosterone secretion, and the LH response to a GnRH injection (1 μg kg−1 body weight). Mean LH and testosterone concentrations were relatively high in all boars during the late summer and fall, and often were greater for the socially nonrestricted versus the restricted boars (group × month), P < 0.05) in the winter (December and January). Mean FSH concentration also varied with month (P < 0.05). Pulse analysis indicated that higher mean testosterone concentrations in November and August were the result of increases (month, P < 0.05) in testosterone-pulse frequency and basal concentration. Maximal mean LH concentration in August was associated with maximal (month, P < 0.05) LH-pulse amplitude and basal concentration. The amplitude of the LH peak following GnRH injection increased (P < 0.05) between November and May, and remained high in August. Key words: Gonadotropins, testosterone, blood, season, social environment, boar

O objetivo da presente tese foi investigar o efeito do nível de dificuldade do adversário nas respostas hormonais, comportamentais e de desempenho de jovens jogadores de basquetebol. Para tanto, 29 atletas de basquetebol do sexo masculino, das categorias sub-15, sub-16 e sub-17 de um mesmo clube (15,3 ± 1,1 anos; 85,5 ± 15,0 kg; 189,0 ± 7,9 cm) foram avaliados na primeira fase do Campeonato Paulista em três partidas com diferentes níveis de dificuldade do adversário (Difícil, Médio e Fácil) para cada uma das três categorias, somando um total de nove partidas. As concentrações salivares de cortisol (C) e testosterona (T) pré e pós-partida, a ansiedade pré-competitiva, o desempenho técnico através do número de envolvimentos técnico-táticos com bola de cada jogador, a percepção subjetiva de esforço da sessão (PSE da sessão) e o desempenho percebido, foram consideradas em cada partida. A comparação de T e C, e o desempenho técnico foi realizada com uma análise de modelos mistos de um (nível de dificuldade) ou dois fatores (nível de dificuldade e momento), com medidas repetidas. Por sua vez, a comparação das variáveis ansiedade pré-competitiva, PSE da sessão e desempenho percebido foi realizada pelo teste de Friedman, seguido do teste de Wilcoxon, quando necessário. Em ambas as análises foi utilizado o post hoc de Bonferroni. Além disso, a associação entre as repostas normalizadas pelo score Z da variação de T com o desempenho percebido e técnico foi verificada por meio da correlação de Pearson. Em todas as análises foi adotado o nível de significância de 5%. Foi verificado aumento de T do pré para o pós nas partidas contra adversários de nível de dificuldade Fácil (p = 0,0064) e Médio (p = 0,0375). A C pós-partida foi superior aos valores pré (p < 0,0001), independentemente do nível de dificuldade; e C no nível Fácil foi inferior ao nível Médio (p = 0,0351) e Difícil (p = 0,0035). A ansiedade cognitiva foi maior no nível Difícil em relação ao nível Fácil (p < 0.01). A ansiedade somática, por sua vez, foi maior no nível Difícil em relação aos níveis Fácil (p<0,001) e Médio (p = 0,01), e maior no nível Médio em relação ao nível Fácil (p = 0,004). A PSE da sessão foi maior no nível Difícil em relação aos níveis Fácil (p = 0,003) e Médio (p = 0,003). Não foi observado efeito do nível de dificuldade para autoconfiança (p = 0,118), desempenho técnico (p = 0,728) e desempenho percebido (p = 0,113). Além disso, não foi verificada correlação significante entre as variáveis desempenho técnico e percebido com a variação da concentração de T (r < 0,35 e p > 0,07 para todas as comparações). Os resultados da presente tese indicam que quanto maior o nível de dificuldade do adversário maior a ansiedade pré-competitiva e a PSE da sessão. A concentração de C aumentou independente do nível do adversário. Já a T aumentou nos jogos de menor dificuldade, mas não no jogo Difícil. Esse aumento da T não se correlacionou significativamente com o desempenho técnico ou percebido. Não houve influência do nível do adversário no desempenho técnico ou percebido
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effect of the adversary difficulty level on hormonal and behavioral responses, technical performance and perceived performance in young basketball players. Thereunto, 29 male young basketball players, from under-15, under-16 and under-17 categories from the same club (15.3 ± 1.1 years, 85.5 ± 15.0 kg, 189.0 ± 7.9 cm) were evaluated in the first phase of the Paulista Championship in three matches with different opponent difficulty levels (Hard, Medium and Easy) for each of the three categories, totaling nine matches. Salivary concentrations of cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) pre and post-match, pre-competitive anxiety, technical performance through individual technical-tactical ball involvements, session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) and perceived performance were considered in each match. The comparisons of T and C, and technical performance were performed with a mixed model analysis with one (difficulty level) or two factors (difficulty level and moment), with repeated measures. On the other hand, the comparisons of pre-competitive anxiety, session-RPE and perceived performance were performed by the Friedman test, followed by the Wilcoxon test, when it was necessary. In both analyses, Bonferroni post hoc was used. Moreover, the association between the responses normalized by the Z score of T variation with the perceived and technical performance was verified through the Pearson correlation. A significance level of 5% was adopted for all analyzes. It was verified an increase in T from pre- to post-match against Easy (p = 0,0064) and Medium (p = 0,0375) opponent levels. C level increased from pre- to post-match, regardless of the difficulty level; and C in the Easy level was lower than the Medium (p = 0.0351) and Hard (p = 0.0035) difficulty levels. Cognitive anxiety was higher in the Hard level compared to the Easy one (p <0.01). Somatic anxiety, on the other hand, was higher in the Hard level compared to the Easy (p <0.001) and Medium (p = 0.01) levels and was higher in the Medium level compared to the Easy one (p = 0.004). Session-RPE was higher in the Hard level compared to the Easy (p = 0.003) and Medium (p = 0.003) levels. No effect of difficulty level for self-confidence (p = 0.118), technical performance (p = 0.728) and perceived performance (p = 0.113) was observed. In addition, no significant correlation was observed between the technical and perceived performance with T variation (r <0.35 and p> 0.07 for all comparisons). The results of this thesis indicate that the higher the opponent difficulty level, the greater the pre-competitive anxiety and the session-RPE. C increased independently of the opponent level. T increased in less difficult matches, but not in the Hard one. This increase in T did not correlate significantly with the technical or perceived performance. There was no influence of the opponent\'s level on technical or perceived performance

Stress often precedes the onset of physical and mental health disorders, leading to costly and extended disability and even increased risk for death. I investigate psychosocial and endocrine precursors to stress responses, specifically examining the causal effects of status-relevant factors that modulate endocrine, affective, and behavioral responses to social-evaluative stressors. For example, while high social status reduces stress responses in numerous species, this stress-buffering effect of status may dissipate or even reverse during times of hierarchical instability. Similarly, some research links testosterone to reduced stress system activity, but correlational research indicates that higher testosterone is related to increased stress responses in threatening social situations. In each case, the causal influence of these psychosocial (status and hierarchy stability) and endocrine (testosterone) antecedents to stress responses was unclear. Results from this work (Chapter 2) reveal that high status in a stable hierarchy buffered stress responses and improved behavioral responses to the stressor, but high status in an unstable hierarchy boosted stress responses and did not lead to better performance. This general pattern of effects was observed across endocrine (cortisol and testosterone), psychological (feeling in control), and behavioral (competence, dominance, and warmth) responses to the stressor. Further (Chapters 4 & 6), exogenous testosterone treatment caused increased motivated persistence – which can help persevere through stressful encounters – but, once exposed to a stressor, testosterone caused increased cortisol reactivity, increased negative affect, and decreased motivation in response to social-evaluative stress, especially for individuals high in trait dominance. This work provides evidence of the causal effects of psychosocial and endocrine factors on stress responses and demonstrates the importance of considering these status-relevant precursors when investigating stress within social contexts.

Tese de Doutoramento apresentada ao ISPA - Instituto Universitário
Esta tese procura clarificar os processos subjacentes às discrepâncias entre a direcção da resposta de androgénios à competição encontrada em estudos empíricos e as predicções das teorias para a modulação social de androgénios. Sugerimos que estes resultados imprevistos podem resultar de interacções com variáveis cognitivas e elegemos especificamente a avaliação cognitiva como um forte candidato a moderador da resposta de testosterona (T) aos desafios sociais. Várias experiências foram realizadas para testar esta hipótese. No Capítulo II e III, testou-se o efeito da familiaridade do oponente e da avaliação do resultado da competição como ameaça/desafio, na resposta de T a uma competição contra um membro do mesmo sexo. Nas mulheres foi encontrado um maior aumento dos níveis de T quando eram derrotadas por um oponente não familiar e quando o resultado era avaliado como ameaçador. Este efeito de moderação não foi detectado para os homens. Continuou-se a investigação sobre os efeitos da familiaridade do oponente e avaliação de ameaça no Capítulo IV, mas com um ciclídeo. Num paradigma de repetidas invasões territoriais por machos estranhos e familiares, encontrou-se uma maior resposta de androgénios no macho residente para as intrusões realizadas por um estranho, comparada com as de um macho familiar. O efeito do componente de expectativas da avaliação cognitiva, na resposta de T à competição em mulheres, foi testado através da manipulação das expectativas dos participantes em relação ao resultado da competição antes da tarefa competitiva (Capítulo V). Os vencedores inesperados baixaram os níveis de T depois da competição, mostrando uma inversão da resposta predicta pelos modelos teóricos. No Capítulo VI, testou-se o efeito directo das alterações afectivas nos níveis de T usando excertos de filmes emocionais. Um decréscimo significativo de T foi observado nos participantes da condição de tristeza, numa direcção congruente com as predicções da literatura. Finalmente, no Capítulo VII, abordou-se a função adaptiva das mudanças de androgénios induzidas pela competição proposta pelos modelos teóricos. Especificamente, testou-se o efeito do resultado da competição e dos níveis pós-competitivos de T na capacidade do individuo detectar faces emocionais ameaçadoras. Os nossos resultados sugerem que os vencedores foram mais rápidos e melhores a discriminar faces de raiva do que os perdedores. A discriminação de raiva foi também melhorada quando os níveis de T pós-competição eram elevados. No geral, estes resultados apoiam a hipótese de uma moderação cognitiva da resposta de T em mulheres. As implicações destes resultados para as teorias de modulação social de andrógenios são discutidas numa perspectiva comparada e integrativa.
ABSTRACT : This thesis aims to clarify the processes underlying the discrepancies between the direction of the androgen response to competition found in empirical studies and predictions of the theories for the social modulation of androgens. We suggest that these unpredicted results could result from interactions with cognitive variables and specifically select appraisal as a strong candidate to moderate the testosterone (T) response to social challenges. Several experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis. On Chapter II and III, we have tested the effect of opponent familiarity and the evaluation of the competition outcome as a threat/challenge on the T response to a competition with a member of the same sex. We have found that women show greater increases in T levels when they were defeated by an unfamiliar opponent and evaluated the outcome as threat. This moderation effect was not detected for men. We have continued the research on the effects of opponent familiarity and threat assessment on Chapter IV, but this time using a cichlid fish. In a paradigm of repeated territorial intrusions by stranger and familiar males, the resident male’s androgen response was higher for the intrusions performed by a stranger compared to those performed by a familiar male. The effect of the expectations component of appraisal on the T response to competition in women was tested by manipulating the expectations of the participants on the outcome of the competition before the competitive task (Chapter V). We have found that the unexpected winners decreased their T levels, showing a reversal of response predicted by the theoretical models. On Chapter VI, we have tested the direct effect of affective changes on T levels using emotional film clips. T significantly decreased for those participants assigned to the sadness condition, a direction that is congruent with predictions of the literature. Finally, on Chapter VII, we have addressed the adaptive function of the androgen changes elicited by the competition, as proposed by the theoretical models. Specifically, we have tested the effect of the competition outcome and post-competition T levels on the individual’s capacity to detect threatening emotional faces. Our findings suggest that winners were faster and better in discriminating angry faces than losers. Anger discrimination was also enhanced when post-competition T levels were high. Together these findings support the hypothesis of a cognitive moderation of the T response to competition in women. Results are discussed in terms of their implication to the theories for the social modulation of androgens in a comparative and integrative perspective.

The diathesis-stress model focuses on the interaction between gene polymorphisms and negative environmental conditions (i.e., stressors); however, Belsky and Pluess (2009) recently proposed an alternative to diathesis-stress: the differential susceptibility hypothesis, which states that some individuals may be predisposed to be more adversely affected by negative environments but, also, to benefit more from positive environments. Nevertheless, the differential susceptibly hypothesis has not been rigorous tested. Thus, the purpose of this study was to test the differential susceptibility hypothesis by examining individual differences in men’s testosterone, behavioral, and psychological responses to social status as a function of the serotonin transporter promoter region polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), which was cited by Belsky and Pluess as a potential “plasticity gene” because one variant – the long (l) allele – appears to be associated with lower susceptibility/plasticity and another – the short allele (s) – appears to be associated with higher susceptibility/plasticity. In this study, groups of 3-4 male participants were allowed to socialize before being told that they were part of a larger initiative to create a student-run Honor Committee. They were asked to nominate one person to be the leader and one person to not be on the committee. Then, participants were told privately that everyone voted them to either (1) be the leader or (2) not be on the committee. Salivary hormone samples were collected at baseline and 20 minutes after vote feedback. In addition, after receiving the vote feedback, participants completed a series of dating anxiety and mate preference tasks and were given the option to examine an “actual honor violation” case either alone or as part of the committee. The results support the differential susceptibility hypothesis. In terms of testosterone response, ss individuals showed both greater reactivity and differential responses to vote feedback. Furthermore, the testosterone responses of ss individuals were moderated by basal cortisol, which is associated with approach/avoidance behavior (Kagan et al., 2003; Shoal, Giancola, & Kirillova, 2003). In addition, ss individuals’ decisions to work on the committee or work alone and responses to the mating tasks were dependent upon the vote feedback, whereas l-carriers’ decisions and responses were not.
text

In social primates, the acquisition and maintenance of social dominance may augment reproductive success while incurring immunological costs. This trade-off is hypothetically facilitated by hormones that modulate both status-enhancing behavior and immune function. In the three studies comprising this dissertation, I investigated hormonal mechanisms by which social dominance may reflect immune health, testing relationships between behavioral correlates of dominance rank, steroid hormone secretion, and immune activity in wild adult male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). Between January 2016 and July 2017, I collected behavioral observations and urine samples from adult males at Ngogo in Kibale National Park, Uganda, home to the largest community of habituated wild chimpanzees yet described. In the first study, I assessed behavioral and anatomical mechanisms that may link dominance rank to the secretion of testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. Testosterone was positively correlated with dominance rank and creatinine, a product of muscle catabolism and noninvasive proxy for lean muscle mass. Contrary to expectations, testosterone was negatively correlated with overall rates of aggression, indicating that aggressiveness does not itself account for positive linear correlations between dominance and testosterone in this species. In the second study, I analyzed reproductively salient correlates of cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone secreted in response to psychosocial and metabolic demands. Urinary measures of reproductive effort and immune challenge were positively correlated with cortisol, indicating adaptive energy allocation. Furthermore, dominance rank was positively correlated with urinary cortisol when c-peptide of insulin, as a measure of energy intake, was low. This indicates that high ranking males deprioritize energy intake in certain social contexts, including competition for sexually receptive mates. In the third study, I found that although urinary testosterone seemingly diminished immune function, high ranking males were less likely to die from severe acute immune challenge than low ranking conspecifics. My results provide evidence that mating effort increases immune challenge both by increasing testosterone secretion and reallocating energy away from immune function. However, despite the increased mating effort exhibited by high ranking males, social dominance does not incur notable immunological costs. On the contrary, social dominance likely reflects immunocompetence and male quality in nonhuman primates.
2021-12-06T00:00:00Z

Across three studies, the role that testosterone plays in how individuals respond psychologically, behaviorally, and physiologically to status challenges was investigated. Preliminary Studies 1 focused on how testosterone related to physiological and psychological responses to a medical threat. Preliminary 2 replicated the psychological effects observed in Preliminary Study 1. Study 3 examined how experimentally manipulated testosterone levels corresponded to responses to a socially judged physical endurance task across all three response types. Preliminary Study 1 examined the relationship between testosterone and conscious evaluations of and physiological reactions to a health threat. Participants were diagnosed with a fictitious enzyme deficiency before rating their views of the deficiency, as well as providing saliva samples before and after diagnosis. Basal testosterone was negatively associated with the belief that one actually had the deficiency, despite the diagnosis. Testosterone was also positively associated with a greater increase in salivary cortisol levels following the diagnosis. Self-reported anxiety was found to be positively associated with evaluating the deficiency as threatening. Preliminary Study 2 replicated the findings observed in Preliminary Study 1 regarding conscious evaluations of a medical threat. Using the same experimental manipulation, testosterone was again found to be negatively associated with ratings of the enzyme deficiency. In Preliminary Study 2, high levels of testosterone were associated with viewing the deficiency as less serious and viewing medical conditions, in general, as less threatening. Study 3 used a transdermal administration procedure to artificially elevate individuals’ testosterone levels before completing a socially evaluated task. Participants who received the testosterone administration showed greater physiological responses to the task, including cardiovascular responses and cortisol responses, compared to the placebo group. Unlike Preliminary Studies 1 and 2, Study 3 did not show any effect of testosterone on conscious evaluations of the task nor behavioral measures of performance. Taken together, the three studies highlight the different ways in which testosterone is related to responding to social threats. Testosterone appears to be associated with mobilizing physiological systems to theoretically facilitate behavioral responses to status threats. Testosterone also appears to be negatively associated with consciously evaluating certain types of threats.
text

This chapter examines the possibility, implied by evolutionary theory, that humans may have a biological preparedness for in-group bounded trust and cooperation and that such biological preparedness co-opts core neuroendocrine pathways to (a) sustain trust and cooperation within groups and (b) facilitate aggression against human enemies and rivaling out-groups. The chapter reviews evidence from studies linking (in-group bounded, parochial) trust and cooperation to oxytocin and to testosterone. The review suggests that oxytocin promotes trust in, and cooperation towards, in-group members more than towards individuals considered unfamiliar or out-group; oxytocin also enables aggressive defense toward rivaling out-groups, especially when these threaten the in-group. Testosterone associates with social status seeking. These works suggest that oxytocin is co-opted to enable and motivate individuals to fit into their groups and contribute to group efficiency and defense, whereas testosterone is co-opted to enable and motivate individuals to achieve status within and between groups.

This chapter focuses on social control obtained through coercion. To answer the question of why some people strive for power, evolutionary behavioral biologists look at the phylogeny of dominance systems. Sociophysiology has unveiled the physiological correlates, such as levels of serotonin and testosterone, of dominant and subordinate status in monkeys and humans, and comparative studies have shown the impact of social hierarchies on health and disease vulnerability. Unlike most human societies that arose after the agricultural revolution of 12,000 years ago, groups of hunter-gatherers actively ostracized any individual attempt to attain dominant status. This ecological condition was wiped out by the agricultural revolution, and the more primitive predisposition toward hierarchical relationships re-emerged in human societies. The final section of the chapter illustrates recent data from psychological studies showing the personality correlates of two types of power that coexist in contemporary social groups: power based on intimidation and oppression, and power based on prestige and self-esteem.