Basal and dynamic relationships between implicit power motivation and estradiol in women.
This study investigated basal and reciprocal relationships between implicit power motivation (n Power), a preference for having impact and dominance over others, and both salivary estradiol and testosterone in women. 49 participants completed the Picture Story Exercise, a measure of n Power. During a laboratory contest, participants competed in pairs on a cognitive task and contest outcome (win vs. loss) was experimentally varied. Estradiol and testosterone levels were determined in saliva samples collected at baseline and several times post-contest, including 1 day post-contest. n Power was positively associated with basal estradiol concentrations. The positive correlation between n Power and basal estradiol was stronger in single women, women not taking oral contraceptives, or in women with low-CV estradiol samples than in the overall sample of women. Women's estradiol responses to a dominance contest were influenced by the interaction of n Power and contest outcome: estradiol increased in power-motivated winners but decreased in power-motivated losers. For power-motivated winners, elevated levels of estradiol were still present the day after the contest. Lastly, n Power and estradiol did not correlate with self-reported dominance and correlated negatively with self-reported aggression. Self-reported dominance and aggression did not predict estradiol changes as a function of contest outcome. Overall, n Power did not predict basal testosterone levels or testosterone changes as a function of dominance contest outcome.
Stanton
Steven J
SJ
Department of Psychology, 530 Church St., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. stantons@umich.edu
Schultheiss
Oliver C
OC
D000328:Adult; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D010919:Placebos; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis
D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D010919:Placebos; D002110:Caffeine; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol