Testosterone Helps to Make Men More Socialable

A study has found that administering a single dose of testosterone gel to healthy men improved how quickly they learned to perform prosocial tasks.

Testosterone is one of the main male sex hormones. It is produced mainly in the testicles, but also in the cortex of the adrenal gland. It plays a key role in the development of the male sexual organs, but it also produces other effects in the body. At puberty, it causes the growth of facial and pubic hair, the increase in the size and strength of muscles and bones, and the deepening of the voice. Testosterone plays an important role in regulating sexual desire, but it also contributes to baldness in later life.

Studies have linked elevated testosterone levels to increased aggression in animals. Despite the myth that testosterone produces the same effect in men, the relationship between testosterone and aggression in humans is less clear. Other human studies reported a positive association between testosterone levels and aggressiveness, but the effect is virtually negligible.

Recent studies have indicated that testosterone might also induce prosocial behaviors, such as making people more likely to offer fair deals or to cooperate better with others during competitions. To explain this link, scientists have proposed the so-called “social status hypothesis,” which suggests that testosterone promotes behaviors appropriate to achieving and maintaining social status. Thus, the effects of testosterone on behavior would depend on the context.