title: Circulating testosterone levels and aggression in adolescent males: a causal analysis.
abstract: Empirical analyses conducted within a causal-analytic framework (path analysis) on a sample of normal adolescent human males suggested that circulating levels of testosterone in the blood had a direct causal influence on provoked aggressive behavior (self-reports): A high level of testosterone led to an increased readiness to respond vigorously and assertively to provocations and threats. Testosterone also had an indirect and weaker affect on another aggression dimension: High levels of testosterone made the boys more impatient and irritable, which in turn increased their propensity to engage in aggressive-destructive behavior. Two somewhat parallel dimensions of behavior, intermale and irritable aggression, have been identified in animal research to be under testosterone control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Personality Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olweus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mattsson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schalling
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D002668:Child Rearing; D005639:Frustration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011627:Puberty; D013694:Temperament; D013739:Testosterone / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone