Testosterone inhibits trust but promotes reciprocity.
The steroid hormone testosterone has been associated with behavior intended to obtain or maintain high social status. Although such behavior is typically characterized as aggressive and competitive, it is clear that high social status is achieved and maintained not only through antisocial behavior but also through prosocial behavior. In the present experiment, we investigated the impact of testosterone administration on trust and reciprocity using a double-blind randomized control design. We found that a single dose of 0.5 mg of testosterone decreased trust but increased generosity when repaying trust. These findings suggest that testosterone may mediate different types of status-seeking behavior. It may increase competitive, potentially aggressive, and antisocial behavior when social challenges and threats (i.e., abuse of trust and betrayal) need to be considered; however, it may promote prosocial behavior in the absence of these threats, when high status and good reputation may be best served by prosocial behavior.
1Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.
Maarten A S
MA
Boksem
Pranjal H
PH
Mehta
Bram
B
Van den Bergh
Veerle
V
van Son
Stefan T
ST
Trautmann
Karin
K
Roelofs
Ale
A
Smidts
Alan G
AG
Sanfey
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012919:Social Behavior; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
D013739:Testosterone
context; decision making; hormone; neuroendocrinology; social; social cognition; social interaction; status; testosterone; trust