title: Testosterone and romance: the association of testosterone with relationship commitment and satisfaction in heterosexual men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study extends previous research on testosterone (T) and mating effort by examining whether relationship commitment and satisfaction explain variance in T beyond relationship status alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Salivary testosterone and self-reported assessments of relationship commitment and satisfaction were assessed among 90 heterosexual men and women (age M = 23.57) in a cross-sectional community sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relationship commitment was significantly related to T among men (P < 0.01), with increasing levels of commitment predicting lower T, even among paired men (P < 0.05). In contrast, relationship commitment was not related to women's T (P > 0.05). Controlling for relationship commitment, satisfaction did not predict T levels in men or women (P's > 0.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association of increasing relationship commitment with reduced T levels in men confirms and extends prior research linking T with mating effort. Together with previous research, this study suggests that T does not vary with relationship commitment or quality in monogamous, heterosexual women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87131, USA. anncwell@unm.edu
authors.forename: Ann E Caldwell
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hooper
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Gangestad
authors.forename: Melissa Emery
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Angela D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Bryan
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008149:Love; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D057566:Self Report; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone