Testosterone increases impulsive behaviour in men – study

THE MALE hormone, testosterone, is important for sexual and reproductive development but it can also make men less likely to question their impulses, suggests new research.

Men given doses of testosterone performed more poorly on a test designed to measure cognitive reflection than a group given a placebo, showed the findings of a study to be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science.

The findings suggest that the sex hormone is connected with greater reliance on gut instincts and less self-reflection.

“What we found was the testosterone group was quicker to make snap judgments on brain teasers where your initial guess is usually wrong,” said Colin Camerer, professor at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

“The testosterone is either inhibiting the process of mentally checking your work or increasing the intuitive feeling that ‘I’m definitely right’,” Camerer said.

The study included 243 males who were randomly selected to receive a dose of testosterone gel or placebo gel before taking a cognitive reflection test. The results “demonstrate a clear and robust causal effect of (testosterone) on human cognition and decisionmaking,” the researchers said.

Testosterone is thought to generally enhance the male drive for social status. Recent studies have shown that confidence enhances status. – IANS