Effects of Victory and Defeat on Testosterone Levels

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Questions and Answers

Define adaptive aggression.

Adaptive aggression is goal-oriented behavior intended to harm, often planned and premeditated.

Explain the concept of dominance as related to social hierarchy.

Dominance refers to the establishment of social ranking or status within a group, influencing access to resources and mating opportunities.

What is the organizational-activational hypothesis in relation to testosterone?

The organizational-activational hypothesis suggests that prenatal testosterone exposure can have permanent structural effects on behavior.

Discuss the weak association between baseline testosterone and aggression.

Studies suggest that there is only a weak association between baseline testosterone levels and aggressive behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

How does the biosocial model of status explain the relationship between testosterone and dominance behaviors?

The biosocial model of status proposes a reciprocal relationship where testosterone levels influence dominance behaviors and vice versa. Signup and view all the answers

What effect does testosterone administration have on competitive decisions in women with high trait dominance?

Testosterone administration in women with high trait dominance leads to more competitive decisions, especially following a victory. Signup and view all the answers

What is the overall winner-loser effect on testosterone changes according to the meta-analysis by Geniole et al. (2017)?

Weak overall winner-loser effect - winners increase in testosterone relative to losers, on average. Signup and view all the answers

What did Stanton et al. (2009) study regarding testosterone changes?

Investigated testosterone changes on election night in the 2008 US presidential election. Signup and view all the answers

What was the decision participants had to make in the study by Mehta & Josephs (2006)?

Decide to compete again against the same opponent on new puzzles or complete a questionnaire on food and entertainment preferences. Signup and view all the answers

What did the results of Mehta & Josephs' (2006) study show regarding Hypothesis 1?

Hypothesis 1 not supported - no difference in testosterone change between winners and losers. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Biosocial model of status focused on?

The biosocial model of status is focused on competition outcome (victory vs. defeat). Signup and view all the answers

What was the aim of the study mentioned involving the Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC)?

To investigate the potential neural mechanisms underlying testosterone's effects on dominance behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between testosterone levels and aggressive behavior in men after experiencing a victory?

Testosterone levels increased in men after a victory and were positively related to aggressive behavior. Signup and view all the answers

How does trait dominance influence the association between testosterone and aggressive behavior in men?

Testosterone increases after a competitive victory were related to aggressive behavior only among men high in self-reported trait dominance. Signup and view all the answers

What effect did administering testosterone have on women's competitive decisions after a victory?

Administering testosterone to women led to more competitive decisions after a victory, but this effect was seen only among women high in trait dominance. Signup and view all the answers

How does trait dominance influence the feelings of hostility in men after being exposed to a social stressor?

Testosterone increased feelings of hostility after a stressor only for men high in trait dominance. Signup and view all the answers

What role does self-construal play in the association between competition outcome and testosterone changes?

Competition outcome's effect on testosterone changes was strongest among independent men. Signup and view all the answers

How does testosterone influence aggressive behavior in men with high trait self-control?

Testosterone increased aggressive behavior in men low in trait self-control. Signup and view all the answers

What specific effect did administering testosterone have on amygdala reactivity in response to angry faces in young men?

Testosterone increases amygdala reactivity to angry faces. Signup and view all the answers

How does testosterone disrupt functional connectivity between amygdala and OFC?

Testosterone disrupts functional connectivity between amygdala and OFC. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between testosterone increase after a decisive victory and enjoyment of competitive tasks?

Testosterone increase after a decisive victory was related to increased enjoyment of the competitive task. Signup and view all the answers

What psychological interventions were proposed by Denson (2015) to reduce provocation, anger, and aggression?

The four psychological interventions proposed were cognitive reappraisal, mindful acceptance, attentional deployment, and situation selection. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Adaptive Aggression and Dominance

Adaptive aggression refers to the use of aggressive behavior to achieve social status and dominance.
Dominance is a key concept in social hierarchy, where individuals with higher dominance tend to have higher social status and influence.

Organizational-Activational Hypothesis

The organizational-activational hypothesis suggests that testosterone influences the development of neural pathways involved in aggression and dominance behaviors during critical periods of development.

Baseline Testosterone and Aggression

Research has shown a weak association between baseline testosterone levels and aggressive behavior.
This suggests that testosterone is not a direct predictor of aggressive behavior, but rather an influential factor in specific contexts.

Biosocial Model of Status

The biosocial model of status explains the relationship between testosterone and dominance behaviors by proposing that testosterone influences status-seeking behaviors, which in turn affect social status and dominance.
The model focuses on the dynamic interaction between social status, testosterone, and behavior.

Testosterone Administration and Competitive Decisions

Administering testosterone to women with high trait dominance increases their competitive decisions in competitive tasks.
This suggests that testosterone influences competitive behavior, particularly in individuals with high dominance traits.

Winner-Loser Effect on Testosterone Changes

A meta-analysis by Geniole et al. (2017) found that winning increases testosterone levels, while losing decreases them, in a phenomenon known as the winner-loser effect.

Testosterone Changes in Response to Competition

Stanton et al. (2009) studied testosterone changes in response to competition and found that testosterone levels increase after winning and decrease after losing.

Mehta & Josephs' (2006) Study

In the study, participants had to make a decision that would either benefit themselves or others.
The results showed that high-testosterone individuals were more likely to make selfish decisions, supporting the hypothesis that testosterone promotes self-interest.

Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC) Study

The aim of the study was to investigate the role of the OFC in testosterone-induced aggression.
The results showed that testosterone administration disrupts functional connectivity between the amygdala and OFC, leading to increased aggressive behavior.

Testosterone and Aggressive Behavior

Testosterone levels are positively correlated with aggressive behavior in men, particularly after experiencing a victory.
Trait dominance influences the association between testosterone and aggressive behavior in men, with high-dominance individuals exhibiting more aggressive behavior.

Trait Dominance and Hostility

Trait dominance influences the feelings of hostility in men after being exposed to a social stressor.

Self-Construal and Testosterone Changes

Self-construal plays a role in the association between competition outcome and testosterone changes, with individuals high in self-construal exhibiting greater testosterone increases after winning.

Testosterone and Amygdala Reactivity

Administering testosterone to young men increases amygdala reactivity in response to angry faces.

Reducing Aggression

Denson (2015) proposed psychological interventions to reduce provocation, anger, and aggression, including self-regulation training and cognitive reappraisal.

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Description

Explore the relationship between winning and losing in competitions and their impact on testosterone levels. Understand how post-competition testosterone changes can influence subsequent dominant behavior.