1
|
Polo P, Fajardo G, Muñoz-Reyes JA, Valenzuela NT, Belinchón M, Figueroa O, Fernández-Martínez A, Deglín M, Pita M. The role of exogenous testosterone and social environment on the expression of sociosexuality and status-seeking behaviors in young Chilean men. Horm Behav 2024; 161:105522. [PMID: 38447330 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Testosterone plays an important role as a social hormone. Current evidence suggests that testosterone is positively related to sociosexuality increasing the psychological attitudes toward investing in short-term versus long-term mating and promotes status-seeking behaviors both by dominance and prestige. In addition, the social environment may play an important role in the expression of mating effort through changes in sociosexuality and status-seeking behaviors. However, the causal relationships among the mentioned variables are still debated. We employed a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-individual design, in order to test and integrate the proposed causal relationships between testosterone and social environment over short-term and long-term mating orientation and dominant and prestigious status-seeking behaviors in a sample of 95 young Chilean men. We did not find evidence that the administration of exogenous testosterone increased short-term or decreased long-term mating orientation as expected. Moreover, exogenous testosterone did not affect either aggressive or cooperative behavior failing to support the social status hypothesis. We also did not find any relationship between short or long-term mating orientation with status-seeking behaviors. Finally, we found support for the effect of social environment on sociosexual attitudes but not over status-seeking behaviors. Thus, men reported higher levels of short-term mating orientation in the presence of a woman compared to a man and no differences were found for long-term mating orientation. We argue that sociosexuality may be expressed flexibly, but contextual factors such as the presence of women seem more important than changes in testosterone levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Polo
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Gabriela Fajardo
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Administración y Economía, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jose Antonio Muñoz-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nohelia T Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Montserrat Belinchón
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oriana Figueroa
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Marcel Deglín
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile; Hospital Carlos van Buren, Valparaíso, Chile; Clínica Ciudad del Mar, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - Miguel Pita
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Casto KV, Cohen DJ, Akinola M, Mehta PH. Testosterone, gender identity and gender-stereotyped personality attributes. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105540. [PMID: 38652981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Sex/gender differences in personality associated with gender stereotyped behavior are widely studied in psychology yet remain a subject of ongoing debate. Exposure to testosterone during developmental periods is considered to be a primary mediator of many sex/gender differences in behavior. Extensions of this research has led to both lay beliefs and initial research about individual differences in basal testosterone in adulthood relating to "masculine" personality. In this study, we explored the relationships between testosterone, gender identity, and gender stereotyped personality attributes in a sample of over 400 university students (65 % female assigned at birth). Participants provided ratings of their self-perceived masculinity and femininity, resulting in a continuous measure of gender identity, and a set of agentic and communal personality attributes. A saliva sample was also provided for assay of basal testosterone. Results showed no compelling evidence that basal testosterone correlates with gender-stereotyped personality attributes or explains the relationship between sex/gender identity and these attributes, across, within, or covarying out sex assigned at birth. Contributing to a more gender diverse approach to assessing sex/gender relationships with personality and testosterone, our continuous measure of self-perceived masculinity and femininity predicted additional variance in personality beyond binary sex and showed some preliminary but weak relationships with testosterone. Results from this study cast doubt on the activational testosterone-masculinity hypothesis for explaining sex differences in gender stereotyped traits and within-sex/gender variation in attributes associated with agency and communality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen V Casto
- Kent State University, Department of Psychological Sciences, United States of America.
| | - Dale J Cohen
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Modupe Akinola
- Columbia University, Columbia Business School, United States of America
| | - Pranjal H Mehta
- University College London, Department of Experimental Psychology, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhou J, Li M, Dong J, Shi H, Shi M. Differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms among patients with cancer in different psychological stages of dying. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1329043. [PMID: 38445053 PMCID: PMC10913893 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1329043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study measured three of the psychological stages of dying in patients with cancer and explored the differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms at each stage. Patients and methods A total of 220 cancer patients were recruited for this study; 168 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the data analysis. The participants were divided into three groups using the "Death Attitudes Questionnaire Revised" (1994) and then completed the Death-Thought Accessibility Test, Self-Control Questionnaire, Rumination Reflection Questionnaire, Attachment Type Test, Intimacy Test, External Control Test, and Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Results In the death avoidance stage, which represents a defense stage without cognitive processes, patients are in an irrational state with the highest level of self-control and the lowest level of external control; they tend to prefer close relationships with many people while experiencing high levels of fear and depression. In the bargaining stage, which represents a biased cognitive defense stage, the level of rationality increases, the level of fear and depression decreases, and patients tend to prefer relationships with many people that do not involve intimacy. In the neutral death acceptance stage, which represents a defense stage without cognitive bias, self-control is lowest, external control is highest, patients tend to prefer intimate relationships with a few people, and experience the lowest levels of fear and depression. Conclusion Three psychological stages of death exist in cancer patients, with differences in proximal and intimacy-related defense mechanisms in each stage. The findings have theoretical and practical implications for psychological interventions for cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Zhou
- School of Humanities and Management Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Mengxiang Li
- School of Humanities and Management Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jiarui Dong
- School of Humanities and Management Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Hui Shi
- School of Humanities and Management Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Meihong Shi
- School of Nursing, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Luberti FR, Carré JM. Testosterone's role in modulating human behaviors relevant to mating and parenting. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 72:101112. [PMID: 37972861 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) is linked to human mating and parenting. Here, we comprehensively reviewed evidence on whether, in men and women, (1) basal T levels are related to mating and parenting behaviors, (2) T responds to reproduction-relevant cues, (3) acute changes in T map onto subsequent mating and parenting behaviors, and (4) single-dose exogenous T administration causally affects mating and parenting behaviors. We examined whether the available evidence supports trade-off interpretations of T's adaptive function whereby high T levels correspond to greater mating/reproductive effort and competition and low T levels to greater parenting effort and nurturance. We found mixed support for trade-off hypotheses, suggesting that T's function in modulating human mating and parenting might be more nuanced and highly dependent on context and individual trait differences. Results were largely similar for men and women, although studies with women were scarcer than those with men for most behaviors we reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca R Luberti
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON P1B 8L7 Canada.
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON P1B 8L7 Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tseng YT, Schaefke B, Wei P, Wang L. Defensive responses: behaviour, the brain and the body. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:655-671. [PMID: 37730910 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00736-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Most animals live under constant threat from predators, and predation has been a major selective force in shaping animal behaviour. Nevertheless, defence responses against predatory threats need to be balanced against other adaptive behaviours such as foraging, mating and recovering from infection. This behavioural balance in ethologically relevant contexts requires adequate integration of internal and external signals in a complex interplay between the brain and the body. Despite this complexity, research has often considered defensive behaviour as entirely mediated by the brain processing threat-related information obtained via perception of the external environment. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the endocrine, immune, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems have important roles in modulating behavioural responses to threat. In this Review, we focus on how predatory threat defence responses are shaped by threat imminence and review the circuitry between subcortical brain regions involved in mediating defensive behaviours. Then, we discuss the intersection of peripheral systems involved in internal states related to infection, hunger and mating with the neurocircuits that underlie defence responses against predatory threat. Through this process, we aim to elucidate the interconnections between the brain and body as an integrated network that facilitates appropriate defensive responses to threat and to discuss the implications for future behavioural research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Tseng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cárdenas SI, Tse W, León G, Kim A, Tureson K, Lai M, Saxbe DE. Prenatal testosterone synchrony in first-time parents predicts fathers' postpartum relationship quality. Horm Behav 2023; 156:105440. [PMID: 37862979 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence that men's testosterone levels decline across the transition to fatherhood and that this decline may reflect fathers' investment in the new family. There is also emerging evidence that cohabiting couples show synchrony or within-couple associations in testosterone levels during the perinatal period. Hormonal synchrony may act as a mechanism that supports fathers' biological preparation for parenthood, perhaps by facilitating perinatal declines in paternal testosterone. However, few studies have examined testosterone synchrony and change within couples. A sample of 97 U.S. couples expecting their first child provided testosterone samples during pregnancy, and of those couples, 78 couples also provided testosterone at seven months postpartum. Couples reported on relationship satisfaction both at prenatal and postpartum visits. Bayesian multilevel modeling revealed within-couple testosterone synchrony both during pregnancy and postpartum. Testosterone synchrony during pregnancy predicted a greater drop in fathers' testosterone levels from prenatal to postpartum and higher paternal postpartum relationship quality. Fathers' lower prenatal testosterone levels also subsequently predicted higher self-reported postpartum relationship quality for both parents. In sum, this study finds that couples' testosterone levels show synchrony across the transition to parenthood in ways that are associated with couple relationship quality and men's neuroendocrine preparation for fatherhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofia I Cárdenas
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States of America.
| | - Winnie Tse
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Gabriel León
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Alice Kim
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Kayla Tureson
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Mark Lai
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Darby E Saxbe
- University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Baxter A, Karaskiewicz CL, Campbell LA, Kinnally EL, Ferrer E, Seelke AHM, Freeman SM, Bales KL. Parental experience is linked with lower vasopressin receptor 1a binding and decreased postpartum androgens in titi monkeys. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13304. [PMID: 37267441 PMCID: PMC10521943 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Parenting induces many neurological and behavioral changes that enable parents to rear offspring. Vasopressin plays an important role in this process via its effects on cognition, affect, and neuroplasticity, and in some cases, via interactions with decreased parental androgens. Thus far, the role of these hormones has been primarily studied in rodents. To address this gap, we explored vasopressin receptors and androgens in titi monkeys, a pair-bonding and biparental primate species. In Studies 1 and 2, we used receptor autoradiography to correlate arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) binding in the hippocampus (Study 1, n = 10) and the rest of the forebrain (Study 2, n = 23) with parental status, parental experience, parity, infant carrying, and pair affiliation. We found that parents exhibited lower AVPR1a binding than non-parents throughout most brain regions assessed, with especially strong effects in the hippocampus (β = -.61), superior colliculus (β = -.88), lateral septum (β = -.35), and medial preoptic area (β = -.29). The other measures of parental experience also tended to be negatively associated with AVPR1a binding across different brain regions. In Study 3 (n = 44), we compared pre- and postpartum urinary androgen levels in parents and non-parents and found that mothers exhibited a sustained androgen decrease across 3-4 months postpartum (relative to 3 months prepartum; β ranged from -.72 to -.62 for different comparisons). For males, we found that multiparous fathers exhibited decreased androgen levels at 1-2 weeks postpartum (β = -.25) and at 3-4 months postpartum (β = -.40) compared to the prepartum, indicating both immediate and long-term reductions with subsequent paternal experience. Together, the results of this study suggest that decreases in AVPR1a binding and circulating androgens are associated with parental behavior and physiology in titi monkeys.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Baxter
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center
| | - Chloe L. Karaskiewicz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center
| | - Lindsey A. Campbell
- California National Primate Research Center
- Department of Animal Biology, University of California, Davis
| | - Erin L. Kinnally
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center
| | - Emilio Ferrer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
| | - Adele H. M. Seelke
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center
| | - Sara M. Freeman
- California National Primate Research Center
- Utah State University, Department of Biology
| | - Karen L. Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Casto KV, Prasad S, Josephs RA, Zilioli S, Welker K, Maslov A, Jones AC, Mehta PH. No Compelling Evidence that Self-Reported Personality Traits Explain Basal Testosterone and Cortisol’s Associations with Status-Relevant Behavior. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-023-00210-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
A goal of behavioral neuroendocrinology is to understand how basal hormone levels relate to behavior. Studies of human participants sometimes measure self-reported personality traits, in addition to or instead of direct behavioral observation. Although personality traits often predict their respective behaviors, whether personality explains hormone-behavior relationships remains unclear.
Methods
We obtained data from eight previous studies (total N = 985) that examined baseline testosterone and cortisol as predictors of status-relevant behavior (competitiveness, dominance, risk-taking, aggression, affiliation, and social status). We tested whether the previously reported hormone-behavior relationships are mediated by self-reported personality traits (e.g., trait dominance, prestige, extraversion). As a secondary research question, we also tested whether trait dominance moderated the testosterone-behavior relationships.
Results
As expected, self-reported personality traits often predicted status-relevant behaviors, but there was little evidence that traits also correlated with basal testosterone or the testosterone × cortisol interaction. Across all eight studies, personality traits did not significantly mediate hormone-behavior relationships. Indeed, the effect sizes of the hormone-behavior relationships were robust to the inclusion of personality traits as covariates. Further, we did not find strong or consistent evidence that trait dominance moderates the testosterone-behavior association.
Conclusion
Results suggest that basal testosterone and cortisol predict status-related behavior independent of self-reported personality. We discuss how these results may have broader implications for the physiological mechanisms by which testosterone and cortisol influence behavior, a process that could be unconscious and automatic. We also discuss alternative explanations, limitations, and future directions.
Collapse
|
9
|
Sinisalo H, Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ, Peltola MJ. Hormonal and behavioral responses to an infant simulator in women with and without children. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22321. [PMID: 36282748 PMCID: PMC9545496 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the impact of maternal status on hormonal reactivity and behavioral responses to an infant simulator in 117 women (54 primiparous, 63 nulliparous). The amount of affectionate touch and motherese were analyzed as behavioral measures of caregiving. Saliva was collected before and 10 min after interaction with the infant simulator to analyze oxytocin, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol levels. Nulliparous women also provided information about their fertility motivation. Linear mixed models indicated that greater use of affectionate touch was associated with lower overall testosterone levels. Cortisol decreased in response to the interaction in both groups. In the primiparous group, the amount of affectionate touch associated inversely with cortisol levels, whereas in the nulliparous group such association was not found. Oxytocin or estradiol reactivity to the simulator did not differ between the groups, nor were these hormones associated with behavior. Higher fertility motivation in nulliparous women was related to more motherese, and lower testosterone levels. Our results indicate that the simulator elicits hormonal reactivity both in mothers and nonmothers, but the patterns of associations between caregiving behavior and hormonal levels may be partially different. These results encourage using the infant simulator to explore hormonal processes related to the transition to parenthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hanneli Sinisalo
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences, PsychologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
| | - Marian J. Bakermans‐Kranenburg
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Educational and Family StudiesVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Mikko J. Peltola
- Human Information Processing Laboratory, Faculty of Social Sciences, PsychologyTampere UniversityTampereFinland,Tampere Institute for Advanced StudyTampere UniversityTampereFinland
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ahnert L. [Fathers in Early Parenting Programs. Impulses from the European and International Fatherhood Research]. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2022; 71:500-516. [PMID: 36221777 DOI: 10.13109/prkk.2022.71.6.500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Prevention and intervention programs (early parenting programs) which are provided by regional multi-professional networks for families with infants are still addressed to mothers, primarily. The question is whether the European and international fatherhood research can supply valuable suggestions for a better involvement of fathers. We discuss determinants of lived fatherhoods that range from educated fathers of national middle class over fathers with migrant backgrounds up to educationally and economically disadvantaged fathers. We elucidate barriers which stand in the way of father involvement in the current parenting programs, and exemplary describe how the resistance could be successfully overcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lieselotte Ahnert
- Freie Universität Berlin Habelschwerdter Allee 45 14195 Berlin Deutschland
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Verhees MWFT, Lotz AM, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, van IJzendoorn MH. Is paternal oxytocin an oxymoron? Oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, oestradiol and cortisol in emerging fatherhood. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210060. [PMID: 35858109 PMCID: PMC9272151 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
How do hormonal levels in men change from pregnancy to after the birth of their firstborn child, and what is the role of oxytocin, alone or in interplay with other hormones, in explaining variance in their parenting quality? We explored in 73 first-time fathers the development of five hormones that have been suggested to play a role in parenting: oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP), testosterone (T), oestradiol (E2) and cortisol (Cort). In an extended group of fathers (N = 152) we examined associations with fathers’ behaviour with their 2-month-old infants. OT and E2 showed stability from the prenatal to the postnatal assessments, whereas AVP and T decreased significantly, and Cort decreased marginally. OT on its own or in interplay with other hormones was not related to paternal sensitivity. Using an exploratory approach, the interaction between T and E2 emerged as relevant for fathers’ sensitive parenting. Among fathers with high E2, high T was associated with lower sensitivity. Although we did not find evidence for the importance of OT as stand-alone hormone or in interplay with other hormones in this important phase in men's lives, the interaction between T and E2 in explaining variation in paternal behaviour is a promising hypothesis for further research. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martine W. F. T. Verhees
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anna M. Lotz
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, and Amsterdam Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1085 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, 2300 RB, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL, University of London, London W1T 7NF, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jiang Y, Sheng F, Belkaya N, Platt ML. Oxytocin and testosterone administration amplify viewing preferences for sexual images in male rhesus macaques. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210133. [PMID: 35858095 PMCID: PMC9272140 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social stimuli, like faces, and sexual stimuli, like genitalia, spontaneously attract visual attention in both human and non-human primates. Social orienting behaviour is thought to be modulated by neuropeptides as well as sex hormones. Using a free viewing task in which paired images of monkey faces and anogenital regions were presented simultaneously, we found that male rhesus macaques overwhelmingly preferred to view images of anogenital regions over faces. They were more likely to make an initial gaze shift towards, and spent more time viewing, anogenital regions compared with faces, and this preference was accompanied by relatively constricted pupils. On face images, monkeys mostly fixated on the forehead and eyes. These viewing preferences were found for images of both males and females. Both oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide linked to social bonding and affiliation, and testosterone (TE), a sex hormone implicated in mating and aggression, amplified the pre-existing orienting bias for female genitalia over female faces; neither treatment altered the viewing preference for male anogenital regions over male faces. Testosterone but not OT increased the probability of monkeys making the first gaze shift towards female anogenital rather than face pictures, with the strongest effects on anogenital images of young and unfamiliar females. Finally, both OT and TE promoted viewing of the forehead region of both female and male faces, which display sexual skins, but decreased the relative salience of the eyes of older males. Together, these results invite the hypothesis that both OT and TE regulate reproductive behaviours by acting as a gain control on the visual orienting network to increase attention to mating-relevant signals in the environment. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaoguang Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Feng Sheng
- Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- School of Management and MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science & Brain–Machine Integration, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Naz Belkaya
- Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, 1400-038, Portugal
| | - Michael L. Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Marketing Department, the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Evidence for an adolescent sensitive period to family experiences influencing adult male testosterone production. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202874119. [PMID: 35639692 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202874119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceTestosterone influences how animals devote energy and time toward reproduction, including opposing demands of mating and competition versus parenting. Reflecting this, testosterone often declines in new fathers and lower testosterone is linked to greater caregiving. Given these roles, there is strong interest in factors that affect testosterone, including early-life experiences. In this multidecade study, Filipino sons whose fathers were present and involved with raising them when they were adolescents had lower testosterone when they later became fathers, compared to sons whose fathers were present but uninvolved or were not coresident. Sons' own parenting behaviors did not explain these patterns. These results connect key social experiences during adolescence to adult testosterone, and point to possible intergenerational effects of parenting style.
Collapse
|
14
|
Geniole SN, Proietti V, Robinson BA, Bird BM, Watson NV, Bonin PL, Goldfarb B, Carré JM. Relatively rapid effects of testosterone on men's ratings of female attractiveness depend on relationship status and the attractiveness of stimulus faces. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105174. [PMID: 35468319 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Attractiveness judgements influence desires to initiate and maintain romantic relationships. Testosterone also predicts relationship initiation and maintenance; such effects may be driven by the hormone's modulation of attractiveness judgements, but no studies have investigated causal (and situation-dependent) effects of the hormone on these judgements. Using a placebo-controlled cross-over design, our preregistered analyses revealed order- and relationship- dependent effects: single heterosexual men judged the women as more appealing when testosterone was administered first (and placebo second), but marginally less appealing when placebo was administered first (and testosterone second). In a more complex model incorporating the women's attractiveness (as rated by an independent set of observers), however, we show that testosterone increases the appeal of women -but this effect depends upon the men's relationship status and the women's attractiveness. In partnered men (n = 53) who tend to derogate attractive alternatives (by rating them as less appealing), testosterone countered this effect, boosting the appeal of these attractive alternatives. In single men (n = 53), conversely, testosterone increased the appeal of low-attractive women. These differential effects highlight the possibility of a newly discovered mechanism whereby testosterone promotes male sexual reproduction through different routes depending on relationship status, promoting partner up- rather than down-grading when partnered and reducing choosiness when single. Further, such effects were relatively rapid [within 85 (±5) minutes], suggesting a potential non-genomic mechanism of action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shawn N Geniole
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario P1B8L7, Canada; Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1160 Vienna, Austria; Department of Psychology, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia V2S 7M8, Canada
| | - Valentina Proietti
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario P1B8L7, Canada; Department of Psychology, Trinity Western University, 7600 Glover Road, Langley, British Columbia V2Y1Y1, Canada
| | - Brittney A Robinson
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario P1B8L7, Canada
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Neil V Watson
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Pierre L Bonin
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Bernard Goldfarb
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario P1B8L7, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Beijers R, Breugelmans S, Brett B, Willemsen Y, Bos P, de Weerth C. Cortisol and testosterone concentrations during the prenatal and postpartum period forecast later caregiving quality in mothers and fathers. Horm Behav 2022; 142:105177. [PMID: 35512479 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Given that parental caregiving quality affects child development from birth onwards, it is important to detect parents who are at risk for low-quality caregiving as early as possible, preferably before or soon after birth. This study investigated whether cortisol (CORT) and testosterone (T) measured during the last trimester of pregnancy and six weeks postpartum were associated with observed caregiving quality at child age 3 in mothers (N = 63) and fathers (N = 45). CORT and T were measured during an interaction with a simulator infant (pregnancy) and their own infant (postpartum). In mothers, no associations were found with CORT and T during pregnancy, but higher postpartum CORT during a mother-infant interaction was related to higher caregiving quality during toddlerhood. In fathers, the association between T during pregnancy and caregiving quality in toddlerhood was more negative for fathers with low CORT. In contrast to mothers, higher postpartum CORT in fathers was associated with lower caregiving quality in toddlerhood. These findings proved robust after applying the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure to control for false discovery rate. Our findings indicate that CORT and T during the perinatal period can forecast caregiving quality in both mothers and fathers. Moreover, our results provided evidence for the dual-hormone hypothesis, but only in fathers. These findings contribute to our growing understanding on how endocrine measures explain individual differences in caregiving quality in mothers and fathers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roseriet Beijers
- Department of Social Development, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands.
| | - Sara Breugelmans
- Department of Social Development, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, the Netherlands
| | - Bonnie Brett
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Willemsen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - Carolina de Weerth
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lotz AM, Buisman RSM, Alyousefi-van Dijk K, Witte AM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Verhees MWFT. Exploring the role of endocrine factors in sensitive parenting in men. Horm Behav 2022; 140:105118. [PMID: 35121300 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parental sensitivity has been studied extensively in parenting research. Recently, there has been increasing attention to endocrine factors that may be related to parental sensitivity, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol. Although hormones do not act in isolation, few studies integrated multiple hormones and examined their combined associations with parental sensitivity. The current study aimed to explore the hormonal correlates of paternal sensitivity by examining in 79 first-time fathers of young infants (2-4 months old) (1) the separate and combined associations of basal oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol levels with sensitivity, and (2) the associations between paternal sensitivity and oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol reactivity following father-infant interactions. We additionally explored whether interactions between the various basal hormone levels could predict paternal sensitivity. Saliva for the quantification of fathers' hormone levels was sampled before and after an interaction with their infant to determine basal levels and reactivity. Results revealed no significant associations between sensitivity and basal hormone levels or reactivity. However, results indicated that cortisol and testosterone interacted in their effects on paternal sensitive parenting. Namely, fathers with low basal cortisol levels showed more sensitivity with increasing T levels, but fathers with high cortisol levels were less sensitive with increasing T levels. However, it should be noted that the latter slope was not significantly different from zero. These findings suggest that variations in parental sensitivity might be better explained by interactions between hormones than by single hormone levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A M Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Institute of Education and Child Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands.
| | - R S M Buisman
- Forensic Family and Youth Care Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
| | - K Alyousefi-van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - M W F T Verhees
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Giannotti M, Gemignani M, Rigo P, Venuti P, De Falco S. The Role of Paternal Involvement on Behavioral Sensitive Responses and Neurobiological Activations in Fathers: A Systematic Review. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:820884. [PMID: 35355925 PMCID: PMC8959913 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.820884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As fathering research has flourished, a growing body of studies has focused on behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms, respectively associated with caregiving sensitivity and responsiveness to infant stimuli. However, the association between these aspects and the key concept of paternal involvement in childcare (i.e., contribution in infant care in terms of time, availability, and responsibility) has been poorly investigated. The current work aims to systematically review the role of involvement in childcare on both neural activations and sensitive behaviors in fathers by examining (a) how paternal involvement has been measured and (b) whether paternal involvement has been associated with neurobiological activation and behavioral sensitive responses. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed quantitative studies, concerning fathers responding to infant stimuli at neurobiological or behavioral level, and including a quantitative measurement of paternal involvement in childcare. A quality rating for each study has been performed based on the measurements adopted to assess paternal involvement. Of 2,529 articles, 27 studies were included. According to our quality rating, 10 out of 27 studies included fairly good-standard measures for measuring paternal involvement, whereas 17 studies used good-standard measures. In addition, 11 studies provided details of paternal involvement in the context of neurobiological responses to infant stimuli, whereas 16 addressed paternal sensitive behaviors. Overall, only 8 studies reported relevant findings about the relationship between paternal involvement and neurobiological responses or sensitive behaviors in fathers. The present study is the first systematically evaluating the scope of paternal involvement in the field of Paternal Brain and fathers' sensitive responsiveness research. When high-standard measures are used, paternal involvement seems to play a significant role in modulating both the hormonal and the neural pathways associated with paternal behaviors. Remarkably, the role of paternal engagement may underpin an adaptive nurturance that is not dependent on pregnancy and childbirth but on caregiving experience. A promising positive link between paternal involvement and behavioral sensitivity may be expected in further studies, which will need to corroborate our conclusion by adopting detailed and appropriate measures assessing paternal involvement. As a future line of research, the inclusion of gay fathers may be beneficial for the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michele Giannotti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Micol Gemignani
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Rigo
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Venuti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Simona De Falco
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Grebe NM, Sheikh A, Drea CM. Integrating the female masculinization and challenge hypotheses: Female dominance, male deference, and seasonal hormone fluctuations in adult blue-eyed black lemurs (Eulemur flavifrons). Horm Behav 2022; 139:105108. [PMID: 35033896 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In the decades since female social dominance was first described in strepsirrhine primates, researchers have sought to uncover the proximate and ultimate explanations for its development. In the females of various female-dominant species, androgens have been implicated as regulators of behavior and/or predictors of seasonal fluctuations in aggression (the 'Female Masculinization Hypothesis'). Males, more generally, respond to changing social demands via seasonal fluctuations in androgen-mediated behavior (the 'Challenge Hypothesis'), that may also entail changes in activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Here, we explore if androgens, glucocorticoids, and intersexual behavior fluctuate seasonally in the female-dominant, blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons), with potential consequences for understanding female aggression and male deference. Across two studies conducted during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons, we assessed rates of mixed-sex, dyadic social behavior (aggression and affiliation) and concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (Study 1) and serum sex hormones (androstenedione, testosterone, and estradiol; Study 2). Our results align with several predictions inspired by the Female Masculinization and Challenge Hypotheses for intersexual relations: During the breeding season, specifically, both aggression and androstenedione peaked in females, while female-initiated affiliation decreased, potentially to facilitate female resource access and reproductive control. By comparison, all target hormones (androgens, estrogen, and glucocorticoids) peaked in males, with glucocorticoid concentrations potentially increasing in response to the surge in female aggression, and unusually high estrogen concentrations year-round potentially facilitating male deference via male-initiated affiliation. These results suggest complex, seasonally and hormonally mediated behavior in Eulemur flavifrons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Grebe
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America.
| | - Alizeh Sheikh
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America
| | - Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America; Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kerry N, Prokosch ML, Murray DR. The Holy Father (and Mother)? Multiple Tests of the Hypothesis That Parenthood and Parental Care Motivation Lead to Greater Religiosity. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2022; 49:709-726. [PMID: 35209748 PMCID: PMC10126463 DOI: 10.1177/01461672221076919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Parenting is a universal element of human life. However, the motivational and attitudinal implications of parenthood remain poorly understood. Given that many major religions prescribe parent-benefiting norms restricting sexual promiscuity and socially disruptive behavior, we hypothesized that both parenthood and parental care motivation would predict higher levels of religiosity. Studies 1 to 3 (N >2,100 U.S. MTurkers; two preregistered) revealed that parental status and motivation were robustly associated with religiosity in Americans, and that age-related increases in religiosity were mediated by parenthood. Study 4a (376 students) found a moderated experimental effect, such that emotionally engaged participants showed increases in religiosity in response to a childcare manipulation. Study 4b then replicated this effect in recoded data from Studies 1 and 2. Study 5 used data from the World Values Survey (N = 89,565) and found further evidence for a relationship between parenthood and religiosity. These findings support functional accounts of the relationship between parenthood and mainstream religiosity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Kerry
- Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.,University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Marjorie L Prokosch
- Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.,University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Lidborg LH, Cross CP, Boothroyd LG. A meta-analysis of the association between male dimorphism and fitness outcomes in humans. eLife 2022; 11:e65031. [PMID: 35179485 PMCID: PMC9106334 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are sexually dimorphic: men and women differ in body build and composition, craniofacial structure, and voice pitch, likely mediated in part by developmental testosterone. Sexual selection hypotheses posit that, ancestrally, more 'masculine' men may have acquired more mates and/or sired more viable offspring. Thus far, however, evidence for either association is unclear. Here, we meta-analyze the relationships between six masculine traits and mating/reproductive outcomes (96 studies, 474 effects, N = 177,044). Voice pitch, height, and testosterone all predicted mating; however, strength/muscularity was the strongest and only consistent predictor of both mating and reproduction. Facial masculinity and digit ratios did not significantly predict either. There was no clear evidence for any effects of masculinity on offspring viability. Our findings support arguments that strength/muscularity may be sexually selected in humans, but cast doubt regarding selection for other forms of masculinity and highlight the need to increase tests of evolutionary hypotheses outside of industrialized populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda H Lidborg
- Department of Psychology, Durham UniversityDurhamUnited Kingdom
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Macdowall WG, Clifton S, Palmer MJ, Tanton C, Copas AJ, Lee DM, Mitchell KR, Mercer CH, Sonnenberg P, Johnson AM, Wellings K. Salivary Testosterone and Sexual Function and Behavior in Men and Women: Findings from the Third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3). JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2022; 59:135-149. [PMID: 34634954 PMCID: PMC7613951 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2021.1968327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Using data from the third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) we examined associations between salivary testosterone (Sal-T) and sexual function and behavior. Single morning saliva samples were self-collected from a subsample of participants aged 18-74 years and analyzed using mass spectrometry. 1,599 men and 2,123 women were included in the analysis (40.6% of those invited to provide a sample). We adjusted for confounders in a stepwise manner: in model 1 we adjusted for age only; model 2 for age, season and relationship status, and model 3 we added BMI and self-reported health. In the fully adjusted models, among men, Sal-T was positively associated with both partnered sex (vaginal sex and concurrent partners) and masturbation. Among women, Sal-T was positively associated with masturbation, the only association with partnered sex was with ever experience of same-sex sex. We found no clear association between Sal-T and sexual function. Our study contributes toward addressing the sparsity of data outside the laboratory on the differences between men and women in the relationship between T and sexual function and behavior. To our knowledge, this is the first population study, among men and women, using a mass spectrometry Sal-T assay to do so.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W G Macdowall
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| | - S Clifton
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Mortimer Market Centre
- NatCen Social Research
| | - M J Palmer
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| | - C Tanton
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| | - A J Copas
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Mortimer Market Centre
| | - D M Lee
- Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, Manchester Metropolitan University
| | - K R Mitchell
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow
| | - C H Mercer
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Mortimer Market Centre
| | - P Sonnenberg
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Mortimer Market Centre
| | - A M Johnson
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Mortimer Market Centre
| | - K Wellings
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Beltz AM, Loviska AM, Kelly DP, Nielson MG. The Link Between Masculinity and Spatial Skills Is Moderated by the Estrogenic and Progestational Activity of Oral Contraceptives. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:777911. [PMID: 35153692 PMCID: PMC8828973 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.777911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Conversations about gender and spatial skills frequently dissolve into a hackneyed debate over nature and nurture. This is particularly true for conversations concerning three-dimensional (3D) mental rotations skill, which shows the largest gender difference of all aspects of cognition, with men-on average-outperforming women. To advance this empirical area of inquiry, biopsychosocial influences on spatial skills should be considered, and a unique opportunity do to that is provided by combined oral contraceptives (OCs). OCs with relatively low estradiol doses and with highly androgenic progestins have been positively related to spatial skills. Gender self-concepts, including masculine and feminine self-perceptions, have also been positively related to spatial skills. It is wholly unknown, however, whether the exogenous sex hormones contained in OCs moderate the link between self-perceived masculinity and 3D mental rotations. This study filled that knowledge gap by utilizing a sample of 141 naturally cycling (NC) women and 229 OC users who completed a computerized survey and cognitive tests. A series of moderation analyses examined whether the link between masculinity and 3D mental rotations depended on pill use or on the estrogenic, progestational, or androgenic activity in OCs, which were operationalized using a novel coding scheme. Results showed that the positive masculinity-3D mental rotations link was only present for NC women, presumably because it was altered by the exogenous hormones in OCs. Indeed, the link was accentuated in users of OCs with relatively low estrogenic and high progestational activity. Future research on menstrual cycle and pill phase is needed, but these findings importantly delineate ways in which biological and psychosocial factors combine to explain variation in spatial skills among women. They also suggest that focus should be placed on the under-investigated progestational activity of OCs, which is facilitated by the novel quantification of OC action used in this study. Thus, this research increases understanding of the neurocognitive and behavioral correlates of ovarian hormones and has implications for the betterment of women's health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adriene M. Beltz
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,*Correspondence: Adriene M. Beltz,
| | - Amy M. Loviska
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Dominic P. Kelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Matthew G. Nielson
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
BASES PSICOBIOLÓGICAS DE LA CORRESPONSABILIDAD PATERNA. REVISTA MÉDICA CLÍNICA LAS CONDES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmclc.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
|
24
|
Maternal Cortisol and Paternal Testosterone Correlated with Infant Growth via Mini Puberty. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-021-00175-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
25
|
Bos PA, Lesemann FHP, Spencer H, Stein DJ, van Honk J, Montoya ER. Preliminary data on increased reactivity towards children in distress after testosterone administration in women: A matter of protection? Biol Psychol 2021; 165:108176. [PMID: 34474128 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Emotional reactivity to others' distress is a vital prerequisite for a caring response. Testosterone, in contrast, is mostly associated with protection of personal dominance and decreased responsiveness to others' needs. However, experimental work also indicates that rising testosterone levels in response to infant distress can potentially facilitate protection. We assessed the impact of testosterone administration on participants' emotional reactivity to infants in distress, measuring their facial responses on the corrugator supercilii forehead muscle ('frowning') and the zygomaticus major ('smiling') as an index of emotional responses towards children. Moreover, we probed whether the effect of testosterone is moderated by participants' self-reported nurturance and protective tendencies. Our preliminary results showed that testosterone not only increased emotional reactivity to empathy eliciting images of children, but that this increase was strongest in participants with strong protective tendencies. Our administration study is the first to link testosterone to infant protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Franca H Parianen Lesemann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah Spencer
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 15780, 1001 NG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands; SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block Groote Schuur Hospital Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Estrella R Montoya
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Ahnert L, Deichmann F, Bauer M, Supper B, Piskernik B. Fathering behavior, attachment, and engagement in childcare predict testosterone and cortisol. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22149. [PMID: 34173236 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The present study examined testosterone (T) and cortisol (Cort) in fathers engaged with caregiving. We collected saliva samples in the mornings and evenings of two consecutive days in 150 fathers of 1- to 5-year-old children. Fathers completed questionnaires on socioeconomic status, family structure and life, sleep characteristics and body mass index (BMI), and reported on their engagement in childcare. Fathers used smartphone-based experience sampling throughout 1 week to sample ongoing activities with their children, including times of supervision, joint play, rough-and-tumble play, and cuddling episodes. External observers rated father-child attachment during a home visit. We began by testing for widely characterized covariates of T and excluded seasonal variations and known predictors associated with lowered T, such as older fathers and those with multiple and young children, lower BMI, shorter sleep duration, and sexual activity before sampling. Most interestingly, however, fathers' engagement in childcare and attachment to the child appeared more pronounced the greater the diurnal decline in T. Cuddling predicted a similar negative association, whereas joint play and rough-and-tumble play (RTP) showed enhancing effects on declining T. Interestingly, all fathering behaviors (except RTP) were positively related to lower Cort. In contrast, supervision was ineffective on both Cort and T.
Collapse
|
27
|
Löwenbrück F, Hess U. Not all "caregivers" are created equal: Liking, caring and facial expression responses to the baby schema as a function of parenthood and testosterone. Biol Psychol 2021; 163:108120. [PMID: 34044066 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The baby schema elicits care from potential caregivers. However, much of the research on the baby schema is based on self-report only. To address this issue, we explored the effects of baby schema and child age on facial expressions (EMG) and eye-blink startle, in addition to self-reported liking and caring for 43 men and 48 women (39 parents). Further, basal testosterone was assessed. All groups responded with liking and caring to high baby schema, but only women also responded with more positive facial expressions. Caring and smiling towards infants compared to first graders depended on parenthood and testosterone levels. Basal testosterone levels were negatively associated with overall responsiveness to children in women and fathers, but positively in non-fathers. Whereas the baby schema overall lead to positive affect and caring, the scope of these responses and the processes underlying them depended on gender, parenthood and hormonal status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Löwenbrück
- Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Psychology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ursula Hess
- Humboldt University Berlin, Department of Psychology, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Rodriguez CM, Granger DA, Leerkes EM. Testosterone Associations With Parents' Child Abuse Risk and At-Risk Parenting: A Multimethod Longitudinal Examination. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2021; 26:50-62. [PMID: 32500732 PMCID: PMC7718373 DOI: 10.1177/1077559520930819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The current investigation considered salivary testosterone as a potential biomarker of physical child abuse risk. Parents enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal, multimethod study beginning prenatally provided saliva when their toddlers were 18 months old. Mothers and fathers self-reported on their empathy, frustration tolerance, and child abuse risk, as well as completing analog tasks of frustration intolerance and child abuse risk and participating in structured parent-child interactions. In contrast to mothers, fathers' higher testosterone levels were associated with increased child abuse risk, less observed positive parenting, more observed negative parenting, and an analog task of frustration intolerance; such findings were reflected across time. Further, fathers' socioeconomic status moderated the association between testosterone levels and abuse risk. No evidence of partner effects was observed in dyadic analyses. The current findings suggest that higher testosterone levels reflect an increased likelihood that paternal physically abusive behavior may be expressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas A Granger
- 8788University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Modest Exercise-Induced Increases in Testosterone Concentration Are Not Associated with Mating Strategy Change in Healthy Young Men. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-021-00275-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
AbstractResearch has demonstrated that increases in testosterone (T) concentration can affect the expression of behaviours and preferences that are typical of high mating effort. However, little research has considered whether such T increases affect mating strategy more generally and whether this is achievable using a physical intervention. In this pilot study, we examined whether exercise-induced changes in T covary with, or predict, changes in male mating strategy. Healthy young men (N = 94) completed a measure of short- and long-term relationship preference, before and after a series of short cycling sprints. Salivary T was measured pre- and post-exercise, along with salivary cortisol (C), which is known to moderate some behavioural effects of T. A significant group-level increase in T was observed, though this was smaller than anticipated (~ 10%, d = 0.27) with substantial intragroup variation. No group-level change in C or mating preferences emerged. Testosterone change did not significantly predict a change in short- or long-term mating preference from baseline, even with inclusion of C change as a moderator. The current findings suggest that modest exercise-induced increases in T concentration have little impact on male mating strategies. Pharmaceutical interventions, which produce larger and more consistent T increases, may be required to observe mating strategy change.
Collapse
|
30
|
Gildner TE. Reproductive hormone measurement from minimally invasive sample types: Methodological considerations and anthropological importance. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23535. [PMID: 33174269 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Energetic investment in human reproduction has long been recognized as costly, influencing developmental, physiological, and behavioral patterns in males and females. These effects are largely coordinated through the actions of reproductive hormones (eg, testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone). Here, the utility and limitations of minimally invasive sampling techniques are explored, providing a novel perspective on how reproductive hormone measurements can enhance reproductive endocrinology research. Salivary steroid measures are most commonly used, although several dried blood spot and urine assays are also available, and researchers continue to explore the efficacy of other sample types. These relatively simple measures have facilitated the collection of multiple samples from a single participant, allowing researchers to more accurately track the diurnal and cyclical variation exhibited by many reproductive hormones. Ultimately, the ability to collect fine-grained participant data allows biological anthropologists to better test questions central to human reproductive ecology, life history theory, and public health. For example, fieldwork using these techniques suggests that testosterone profile variation across populations is influenced by energetic constraints and reproductive status. Moreover, hormone concentrations shape the development of sex characteristics, with implications for evolutionary questions related to sexual selection. Hormone levels also can be used to identify a range of medical concerns (eg, suppressed hormone production levels linked with psychosocial stress). These findings highlight how minimally invasive collection techniques can be applied to test diverse evolutionary hypotheses and identify important health concerns. Still, more work is needed to standardize collection and laboratory analysis procedures, thereby enabling more direct data comparisons between researchers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theresa E Gildner
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Rincon AV, Heistermann M, Schülke O, Ostner J. Testosterone and cortisol are negatively associated with ritualized bonding behavior in male macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 120:104774. [PMID: 32574857 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neuroendocrine research on the formation of social bonds has primarily focused on the role of nonapeptides. However, steroid hormones often act simultaneously to either inhibit or facilitate bonding. Testosterone is proposed to mediate a trade-off between male mating effort and nurturing behavior; therefore, low levels are predicted during periods of nurturing infant care and social bonding. In species where social bonding and support regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, we also expect glucocorticoid levels to be low during bonding periods. We investigated how immunoreactive urinary testosterone (iuT) and cortisol (iuC) were related to triadic male-infant-male interactions - a ritualized male bonding behavior - as well as infant care in male Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). We collected >3000 h of behavioral observation data during full-day focal animal follows from 14 adult males and quantified iuT and iuC from 650 urine samples. iuT was negatively correlated with rates of triadic interactions within subjects, but positively correlated between subjects. iuC was negatively correlated with triadic interactions both within and between subjects. Time spent caring for infants was positively correlated to both iuT and iuC within subjects, but not between subjects. The observed negative relationship between iuT and triadic interactions within subjects may be beneficial to lower competitive tendencies between adult males and to not inhibit bond formation. However, the positive correlation of iuT with triadic interactions between subjects was unexpected. We speculate that it could be due to a link between triadic interactions and coalition formation. A negative relationship between triadic interactions and iuC could reflect increased bonding and perceived social support as triadic interactions predict future coalition formation in this species, or reflect buffered tensions between males. The positive relationship of iuT and iuC with infant care suggests that the handling of infants may be less nurturing but rather protective or competitive in this species. Measuring steroid hormones in relation to bonding and nurturing can help us interpret behaviors within the ecological contexts that they occur.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan V Rincon
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Research Group Social Evolution in Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Research Group Social Evolution in Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Gettler LT, Lew-Levy S, Sarma MS, Miegakanda V, Boyette AH. Sharing and caring: Testosterone, fathering, and generosity among BaYaka foragers of the Congo Basin. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15422. [PMID: 32963277 PMCID: PMC7508877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70958-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are rare among mammals in exhibiting paternal care and the capacity for broad hyper-cooperation, which were likely critical to the evolutionary emergence of human life history. In humans and other species, testosterone is often a mediator of life history trade-offs between mating/competition and parenting. There is also evidence that lower testosterone men may often engage in greater prosocial behavior compared to higher testosterone men. Given the evolutionary importance of paternal care and heightened cooperation to human life history, human fathers' testosterone may be linked to these two behavioral domains, but they have not been studied together. We conducted research among highly egalitarian Congolese BaYaka foragers and compared them with their more hierarchical Bondongo fisher-farmer neighbors. Testing whether BaYaka men's testosterone was linked to locally-valued fathering roles, we found that fathers who were seen as better community sharers had lower testosterone than less generous men. BaYaka fathers who were better providers also tended to have lower testosterone. In both BaYaka and Bondongo communities, men in marriages with greater conflict had higher testosterone. The current findings from BaYaka fathers point to testosterone as a psychobiological correlate of cooperative behavior under ecological conditions with evolutionarily-relevant features in which mutual aid and sharing of resources help ensure survival and community health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, 244 Corbett Family Hall, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
- William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, USA.
| | - Sheina Lew-Levy
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mallika S Sarma
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, 244 Corbett Family Hall, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Valchy Miegakanda
- Institut National de Santé Publique, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Adam H Boyette
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Moon JW. Why are world religions so concerned with sexual behavior? Curr Opin Psychol 2020; 40:15-19. [PMID: 32877834 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Many religions emphasize the importance of sexual morality. This article argues mating strategies are central to understanding religion. I highlight the reproductive-religiosity model, which suggests that religious behavior is partly motivated by preferences for restricted mating strategies. I then discuss how religion can lead to reproductive benefits. Specifically, religions can make parenting a relatively safer strategy by increasing paternal certainty, which drives men toward parental investment, and alloparenting, which reduces offspring mortality rates. Next, I discuss the social implications of reproductive-religiosity, including mate selection and trust. Finally, I discuss the potential role of mating strategies in the evolution and cultural evolution of religion and discuss future directions for developing an approach to religion rooted in mating interests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan W Moon
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave., Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Figueroa O, Muñoz-Reyes JA, Rodriguez-Sickert C, Valenzuela N, Pavez P, Ramírez-Herrera O, Pita M, Diaz D, Fernández-Martínez AB, Polo P. Testing strategic pluralism: The roles of attractiveness and competitive abilities to understand conditionality in men's short-term reproductive strategies. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237315. [PMID: 32866153 PMCID: PMC7458284 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The decision to allocate time and energy to find multiple sexual partners or raise children is a fundamental reproductive trade-off. The Strategic Pluralism Hypothesis argues that human reproductive strategies are facultatively calibrated towards either investing in mating or parenting (or a mixture), according to the expression of features dependent on the individual's condition. This study seeks to test predictions derived from this hypothesis in a sample of 242 young men (M ± SD = 22.12 ± 3.08) from Chile's 5th Region (33֯ south latitude). Specifically, two predictions were considered that raise questions about the relationship between traits related to physical and psychological attractiveness (fluctuating facial asymmetry and self-perception of attractiveness) and competitive skills (baseline testosterone and self-perception of fighting ability) with short-term reproductive strategies. Our results indicate that psychological features related to the self-perception of physical attractiveness are related to short-term reproductive strategies. However, no evidence was found that fluctuating facial asymmetry, basal levels of testosterone and self-perception of fighting ability were related to short-term reproductive strategies. These results support the existing evidence of the importance of physical attractiveness in calibrating men's reproductive strategies but cast doubts about the role of fluctuating facial asymmetry. They also suggest that traits related to physical attractiveness, in comparison to competitive capabilities, play a more important role in calibrating men's short-term reproductive strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oriana Figueroa
- Doctorado en Ciencias de la Complejidad Social, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Concepción, Chile
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jose Antonio Muñoz-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Carlos Rodriguez-Sickert
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Concepción, Chile
| | - Nohelia Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Andrés Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - Paula Pavez
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Oriana Ramírez-Herrera
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Miguel Pita
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - David Diaz
- Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Pablo Polo
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Knight EL, Sarkar A, Prasad S, Mehta PH. Beyond the challenge hypothesis: The emergence of the dual-hormone hypothesis and recommendations for future research. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104657. [PMID: 31863735 PMCID: PMC7311256 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The challenge hypothesis makes specific predictions about the association between testosterone and status-seeking behaviors, but the findings linking testosterone to these behaviors are often inconsistent. The dual-hormone hypothesis was developed to help explain these inconsistencies. Specifically, according to this hypothesis, testosterone's association with status-seeking behavior depends on levels of cortisol. Here, we (1) describe the dual-hormone hypothesis in relation to the challenge hypothesis; (2) review recent studies that tested the dual-hormone hypothesis as well as meta-scientific evidence of heterogeneous dual-hormone findings across studies; (3) discuss potential explanations for this heterogeneity, including methodological considerations, contextual factors, and individual differences; and (4) provide recommendations for new work aimed at testing and extending the dual-hormone hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik L Knight
- Center for Healthy Aging, Pennsylvania State University, United States of America; Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, United States of America.
| | - Amar Sarkar
- Trinity College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Smrithi Prasad
- Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, United States of America
| | - Pranjal H Mehta
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Gray PB, Straftis AA, Bird BM, McHale TS, Zilioli S. Human reproductive behavior, life history, and the Challenge Hypothesis: A 30-year review, retrospective and future directions. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104530. [PMID: 31085183 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Challenge Hypothesis (Wingfield et al., 1990) originally focused on adult male avian testosterone elevated in response to same-sex competition in reproductive contexts. The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate how the Challenge Hypothesis has shaped ideas about human life histories. We conduct a citation analysis, drawing upon 400 Google Scholar citations in the human literature to identify patterns in this body of scholarship. We cover key factors, such as context and personality traits, that help explain variable testosterone responses such as winning/losing to adult competitive behavior. Findings from studies on courtship and sexual behavior indicate some variation in testosterone responses depending on factors such as motivation. A large body of research indicates that male testosterone levels are often lower in contexts of long-term committed partnerships and nurturant fathering and aligned with variation in male mating and parenting effort. As the Challenge Hypothesis is extended across the life course, DHEA and androstenedione (rather than testosterone) appear more responsive to juvenile male competitive behavior, and during reproductive senescence, baseline male testosterone levels decrease just as male life history allocations show decreased mating effort. We discuss how research on testosterone administration, particularly in older men, provides causal insight into effects of testosterone in humans, and how this "natural experiment" can be viewed in light of the Challenge Hypothesis. We synthesize central concepts and findings, such as an expanded array of costs of testosterone that inform life history tradeoffs between maintenance and reproductive effort, and we conclude with directions for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Gray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America.
| | - Alex A Straftis
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Box 455003, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5003, United States of America
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Timothy S McHale
- Department of Anthropology, Central Washington University, United States of America
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, United States of America; Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Lipshutz SE, Rosvall KA. Testosterone secretion varies in a sex- and stage-specific manner: Insights on the regulation of competitive traits from a sex-role reversed species. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 292:113444. [PMID: 32092297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) mediates a variety of traits that function in competition for mates, including territorial aggression, ornaments, armaments, and gametogenesis. The link between T and mating competition has been studied mainly in males, but females also face selection pressures to compete for mates. Sex-role reversed species, in which females are the more competitive sex, provide a unique perspective on the role of T in promoting competitive traits. Here, we examine patterns of T secretion in sex-role reversed northern jacanas (Jacana spinosa) during breeding, when females are fertile and males are either seeking copulations or conducting parental care. We measured baseline levels of T in circulation along with a suite of behavioral and morphological traits putatively involved in mating competition. We evaluated hypotheses that levels of T track gonadal sex and parental role, and we begin to investigate whether T and competitive traits co-vary in a sex- and stage- specific manner. Although females had higher expression of competitive traits than males at either breeding stage, we found that females and incubating males had similar levels of T secretion, which were lower than those observed in copulating males. T was correlated with wing spur length in females and testes mass in copulating males, but was otherwise uncorrelated with other competitive traits. These findings suggest that levels of T in circulation alone do not predict variation in competitive traits across levels of analysis, including gonadal sex and parental role. Instead, our findings coupled with prior research indicate that selection for female mating competition and male care may generate different physiological regulation of competitive traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara E Lipshutz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Kuzawa CW, Adair L, Bechayda SA, Borja JRB, Carba DB, Duazo PL, Eisenberg DTA, Georgiev AV, Gettler LT, Lee NR, Quinn EA, Rosenbaum S, Rutherford JN, Ryan CP, McDade TW. Evolutionary life history theory as an organising framework for cohort studies: insights from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Ann Hum Biol 2020; 47:94-105. [PMID: 32429766 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2020.1742787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
By tracking a group of individuals through time, cohort studies provide fundamental insights into the developmental time course and causes of health and disease. Evolutionary life history theory seeks to explain patterns of growth, development, reproduction and senescence, and inspires a range of hypotheses that are testable using the longitudinal data from cohort studies. Here we review two decades of life history theory-motivated work conducted in collaboration with the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS), a birth cohort study that enrolled more than 3000 pregnant women in the Philippines in 1983 and has since followed these women, their offspring and grandoffspring. This work has provided evidence that reproduction carries "costs" to cellular maintenance functions, potentially speeding senescence, and revealed an unusual form of genetic plasticity in which the length of telomeres inherited across generations is influenced by reproductive timing in paternal ancestors. Men in Cebu experience hormonal and behavioural changes in conjunction with changes in relationship and fatherhood status that are consistent with predictions based upon other species that practice bi-parental care. The theoretical expectation that early life cues of mortality or environmental unpredictability will motivate a "fast" life history strategy are confirmed for behavioural components of reproductive decision making, but not for maturational tempo, while our work points to a broader capacity for early life developmental calibration of systems like immunity, reproductive biology and metabolism. Our CLHNS findings illustrate the power of life history theory as an integrative, lifecourse framework to guide longitudinal studies of human populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Linda Adair
- Department of Nutrition and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sonny A Bechayda
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | | | - Delia B Carba
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Paulita L Duazo
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Dan T A Eisenberg
- Department of Anthropology and Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Lee T Gettler
- Department of Anthropology and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Nanette R Lee
- USC-Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos, Cebu, Philippines
| | - Elizabeth A Quinn
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, in St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stacy Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Julienne N Rutherford
- Department of Women, Children, and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Corpuz R, Bugental D. Life history and individual differences in male testosterone: Mixed evidence for early environmental calibration of testosterone response to first-time fatherhood. Horm Behav 2020; 120:104684. [PMID: 31945323 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Male testosterone (T) decreases in response to childbirth. Longitudinal support for this has come from samples across cultures. In this study, we look at individual differences in this phenomenon. Utilizing a sample of U.S. fathers, we employ life history theory to investigate the influence of a father's early experience on his neuroendocrine response to fatherhood. We conducted three home visits (n = 226 fathers) from the third trimester of pregnancy to when infants were 10 months old. In this sample, T declined from the third trimester of (a partner's) pregnancy to the early months of the postnatal period. T recovered to pre-birth levels by the time infants reached 10 months old. We did not find any evidence that one's subjective experience of their early environment could account for any meaningful variability in T calibration. Objective, "event" measures of early harshness (i.e., death of a sibling/friend) and unpredictability (i.e., parent upheaval) each uniquely predicted a younger age of sexual debut. Neither harshness nor unpredictability had any (direct or indirect) effects on T calibration. Age of sexual debut did predict the rate of T recovery from 3 to 10 months postnatal. The younger one's sexual debut, the more accelerated their T ascent during this period. We discuss the potential reasons for, and implications of our mixed results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Randy Corpuz
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, United States of America.
| | - Daphne Bugental
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Storey AE, Alloway H, Walsh CJ. Dads: Progress in understanding the neuroendocrine basis of human fathering behavior. Horm Behav 2020; 119:104660. [PMID: 31883946 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We outline the progress on the hormonal basis of human paternal behavior during the past twenty years. Advances in understanding the roles of testosterone, prolactin, oxytocin and vasopressin in fathering behavior are described, along with recent research on hormonal interactions, such as those between testosterone and cortisol, and testosterone and the peptide hormones. In addition, we briefly describe the recent leaps forward in elucidating the neurobiological and neuroendocrine basis of fatherhood, made possible by fMRI technology. Emerging from this literature is a developing and complicated story about fatherhood, highlighting the need to further understand the interplay between behavior, physiology, social context, and individual genetic variation. Given the changing roles of parents in many societies, the continued growth of this research area will provide a strong empirical knowledge base about paternal behavior on which to create policies promoting fathers' involvement in their infants' lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne E Storey
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Hayley Alloway
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Graduate Program, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Carolyn J Walsh
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Muñoz-Reyes JA, Polo P, Valenzuela N, Pavez P, Ramírez-Herrera O, Figueroa O, Rodriguez-Sickert C, Díaz D, Pita M. The Male Warrior Hypothesis: Testosterone-related Cooperation and Aggression in the Context of Intergroup Conflict. Sci Rep 2020; 10:375. [PMID: 31942026 PMCID: PMC6962424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57259-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Male Warrior Hypothesis (MWH) establishes that men's psychology has been shaped by inter-group competition to acquire and protect reproductive resources. In this context, sex-specific selective pressures would have favored cooperation with the members of one's group in combination with hostility towards outsiders. We investigate the role of developmental testosterone, as measured indirectly through static markers of prenatal testosterone (2D:4D digit ratio) and pubertal testosterone (body musculature and facial masculinity), on both cooperation and aggressive behavior in the context of intergroup conflict among men. Supporting the MWH, our results show that the intergroup conflict scenario promotes cooperation within group members and aggression toward outgroup members. Regarding the hormonal underpinnings of this phenomenon, we find that body musculature is positively associated with aggression and cooperation, but only for cooperation when context (inter-group competition) is taken into account. Finally, we did not find evidence that the formidability of the group affected individual rates of aggression or cooperation, controlling for individual characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J A Muñoz-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - P Polo
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - N Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.,Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile
| | - P Pavez
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - O Ramírez-Herrera
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - O Figueroa
- Laboratorio de Comportamiento Animal y Humano, Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.,Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - C Rodriguez-Sickert
- Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social, Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - D Díaz
- Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - M Pita
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Procyshyn TL, Watson NV, Crespi BJ. Experimental empathy induction promotes oxytocin increases and testosterone decreases. Horm Behav 2020; 117:104607. [PMID: 31654674 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin and testosterone coordinate adaptive social behaviors with stimuli in the environment. Administration of oxytocin and testosterone is associated with increased and reduced indicators of empathy, respectively, but how levels of these hormones are jointly affected by naturalistic empathy-inducing stimuli remains unclear. In this study, salivary oxytocin and testosterone levels were measured in 173 healthy adults before and after watching a video involving a gravely ill child. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess psychological variables predicted to affect oxytocin reactivity (Autism-Spectrum Quotient, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Empathy and Systemizing Quotients). On average, there was a 14% increase in oxytocin (p = 0.003) and 4% decrease in testosterone (p = 0.001) pre- to post-video. Opposite directional changes in hormone levels occurred together, as supported by a chi-square test (p < 0.001) and a circular statistics test (p < 0.05). Considered separately, psychological traits did not predict hormone levels or changes to any appreciable degree. However, oxytocin and testosterone changes were linked with empathy relative to systemizing such that: (1) 'Empathy Bias' was associated with a large oxytocin increase but little change in testosterone, while (2) 'Systemizing Bias' and 'Balance' between empathy and systemizing were associated with a decrease in testosterone but little change in oxytocin. These findings suggest that participants were divisible into 'high oxytocin responders' (relatively empathetic) and 'high testosterone responders' (balanced or systemizing-biased). These findings support a model of joint, opposite changes in oxytocin and testosterone under experimental empathy induction, with high, somewhat predictable, diversity in individual responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanya L Procyshyn
- Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby V5A 1S6, Canada; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Neil V Watson
- Department of Psychology, 8888 University Drive, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby V5A 1S6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Russo V, Ottaviani C, Spitoni GF. Affective touch: A meta-analysis on sex differences. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:445-452. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
44
|
Meijer WM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ. Challenging the challenge hypothesis on testosterone in fathers: Limited meta-analytic support. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 110:104435. [PMID: 31541914 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In fathers testosterone levels are suggested to decrease in the context of caregiving, but results seem inconsistent. In a meta-analysis including 50 study outcomes with N = 7,080 male participants we distinguished three domains of research, relating testosterone levels to parental status (Hedges' g = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.35; N = 4,150), parenting quality (Hedges' g = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.24; N = 2,164), and reactivity after exposure to child stimuli (Hedges' g = 0.19, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.42; N = 766). The sets of study outcomes on reactivity and on parenting quality were both homogeneous. Parental status and (higher) parenting quality were related to lower levels of testosterone, but according to conventional criteria combined effect sizes were small. Moderators did not significantly modify combined effect sizes. Results suggest that publication bias might have inflated the meta-analytic results, and the large effects of pioneering but small and underpowered studies in the domains of males' parental status and parenting quality have not been consistently replicated. Large studies with sufficient statistical power to detect small testosterone effects and, in particular, the moderating effects of the interplay with other endocrine systems and with contextual determinants are required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Willemijn M Meijer
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Witte AM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH, Szepsenwol O, Shai D. Predicting infant-father attachment: the role of pre- and postnatal triadic family alliance and paternal testosterone levels. Attach Hum Dev 2019; 22:653-667. [PMID: 31646934 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2019.1680713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
This longitudinal study examined whether prenatal family alliance and prenatal paternal testosterone levels predicted infant-mother and infant-father attachment security and whether this association was mediated by postnatal family alliance and postnatal paternal testosterone levels. In 105 couples expecting their first child, family alliance was assessed in the third trimester of pregnancy with the prenatal version of the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP). Family alliance was measured again 6 months postnatally, using the LTP. Fathers provided testosterone samples prenatally and at 6 months postnatally. Infant-parent attachment was assessed with the Attachment Q-Sort (AQS) at 24 months. Results indicated an increase in paternal testosterone levels from the pre- to the postnatal period. A more positive prenatal family alliance predicted higher infant-father attachment security at 24 months, but not infant-mother attachment security. The association between prenatal family alliance and attachment security was not mediated by postnatal family alliance or postnatal paternal testosterone levels. This study highlights the significance of prenatal family relations, and the need to consider in research and practice the divergent effects of prenatal family alliance patterns on the emerging infant-mother and infant-father attachment relationships. The underlying hormonal mechanisms during the transition to fatherhood are important targets for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M Witte
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family Studies, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit , Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam , Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ohad Szepsenwol
- Department of Education, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College , Yezreel Valley, Israel
| | - Dana Shai
- SEED Center, School of Behavior Sciences, Academic College Tel Aviv-Yaffo , Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Israel
| |
Collapse
|