Trait anxiety moderates the association between estradiol and dominance in women.
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between self-assessed social dominance trait and levels of free basal sex steroids: estradiol and testosterone, in reproductive age women. Polish urban women aged 24-35 (N = 72) filled in Trait Dominance-Submissiveness Scale (TDS) and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). They also gave a single blood sample during the follicular phase of the following menstrual cycle. The blood sample was analyzed for concentration of free testosterone (T), estradiol (E2) and cortisol (C). We found that self-assessed social dominance was negatively associated with free E2 and E2 to T ratio. This general relationship was moderated by Trait Anxiety. Higher social dominance was associated with lower E2 and lower E2 to T ratio in moderate and highly anxious women. No such relationship was found in low anxious women. Results of this study evidence important contribution of estradiol and question the independent role of testosterone in shaping dominance in women. They might also suggest important biological and psychological cost of maintaining high social dominance in reproductive age women.
Polish Academy of Science Unit of Anthropology in Wroclaw, Podwale 75, 50-449 Wroclaw, Poland; Yale University Department of Anthropology, 10 Sachem Street, New Haven, 06511 CA, USA. Electronic address: aziomkiewicz@antropologia.pan.pl.
Anna
A
Ziomkiewicz
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Cognitive Studies, Chodakowska 19/31, 03-815 Warsaw, Poland.
Szymon
S
Wichary
Polish Academy of Science Unit of Anthropology in Wroclaw, Podwale 75, 50-449 Wroclaw, Poland.
Aleksandra
A
Gomula
University of Wroclaw Department of Human Biology, Kuznicza 35, 50-138 Wroclaw, Poland.
Boguslaw
B
Pawlowski
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012930:Social Dominance; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D006854:Hydrocortisone
Anxiety; Cortisol; Estradiol; Social dominance; Testosterone