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Chen S, van der Meij L, van Zyl LE, Demerouti E. The Life Crafting Scale: Development and Validation of a Multi-Dimensional Meaning-Making Measure. Front Psychol 2022; 13:795686. [PMID: 35330727 PMCID: PMC8940191 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.795686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding meaning in our lives is a central tenet to the human experience and a core contributor to mental health. Individuals tend to actively seek the sources of meaning in their lives or consciously enact efforts to create or "craft" meaning in different life domains. These overall "Life Crafting" behaviors refer to the conscious efforts individuals exert to create meaning in their lives through (a) cognitively (re-)framing how they view life, (b) seeking social support systems to manage life challenges, and (c) actively seeking challenges to facilitate personal growth. Specifically, these behaviors are actioned to better align life goals, personal needs, values, and capabilities. However, no psychological assessment instrument currently exists to measure overall life crafting. As such, the purpose of this paper was twofold: to conceptualize life crafting and to develop, validate and evaluate a robust measure of overall life crafting. A mixed-method, multi-study research design was employed. First, nine participants were interviewed to determine the methods or techniques used to craft meaningful life experiences. These methods/techniques were used as indicators to create an initial item pool which was then reviewed by a panel of experts to ensure face validity. Second, in Study 1, the factorial structure of the instrument was explored by gathering data from a convenience sample (N = 331), with the results showing support for a three-factor structure of life crafting, consisting of (a) cognitive crafting, (b) seeking social support, and (c) seeking challenges. Finally, in Study 2 (N = 362), the aim was to confirm the factorial structure of the Life Crafting scale and to determine its level of internal consistency, partial measurement invariance across genders, and criterion validity [meaning in life (β = 0.91), mental health (β = 0.91), work engagement (β = 0.54), and job burnout (β = -0.42)]. The results supported a second-order factorial model of Life Crafting, which comprised of three first-order factors (cognitive crafting, seeking social support, and seeking challenges). Therefore, the Life Crafting Scale can be used as a valid and reliable instrument to measure- and track the effectiveness of life crafting interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Chen
- Human Performance Management Group, Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, University of Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Leander van der Meij
- Human Performance Management Group, Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, University of Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Llewellyn E. van Zyl
- Human Performance Management Group, Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, University of Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University (VTC), Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
- Department of Human Resource Management, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
- Department of Social Psychology, Institut für Psychologie, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Evangelia Demerouti
- Human Performance Management Group, Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, University of Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
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2
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Van Doesum NJ, Murphy RO, Gallucci M, Aharonov-Majar E, Athenstaedt U, Au WT, Bai L, Böhm R, Bovina I, Buchan NR, Chen XP, Dumont KB, Engelmann JB, Eriksson K, Euh H, Fiedler S, Friesen J, Gächter S, Garcia C, González R, Graf S, Growiec K, Guimond S, Hřebíčková M, Immer-Bernold E, Joireman J, Karagonlar G, Kawakami K, Kiyonari T, Kou Y, Kyrtsis AA, Lay S, Leonardelli GJ, Li NP, Li Y, Maciejovsky B, Manesi Z, Mashuri A, Mok A, Moser KS, Moták L, Netedu A, Platow MJ, Raczka-Winkler K, Reinders Folmer CP, Reyna C, Romano A, Shalvi S, Simão C, Stivers AW, Strimling P, Tsirbas Y, Utz S, van der Meij L, Waldzus S, Wang Y, Weber B, Weisel O, Wildschut T, Winter F, Wu J, Yong JC, Van Lange PAM. Reply to Komatsu et al.: From local social mindfulness to global sustainability efforts? Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2119303118. [PMID: 35046048 PMCID: PMC8794841 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119303118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Niels J Van Doesum
- Social, Economic and Organisational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands;
- Knowledge Centre for Psychology and Economic Behaviour, Leiden University 2312 HS Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ryan O Murphy
- Department of Economics, University of Zürich 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
- Morningstar Investment Management, Chicago, IL 60602
| | - Marcello Gallucci
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Efrat Aharonov-Majar
- Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Ursula Athenstaedt
- Department of Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Graz 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Wing Tung Au
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China
| | - Liying Bai
- Department of Applied Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Robert Böhm
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
- Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
- Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science, University of Copenhagen 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Inna Bovina
- Department of Clinical and Legal Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow 127051, Russia
| | - Nancy R Buchan
- Sonoco International Business Department, Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208
| | - Xiao-Ping Chen
- Department of Management and Organization, Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Kitty B Dumont
- School of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of South Africa 0003 Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jan B Engelmann
- Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making, Amsterdam School of Economics, University of Amsterdam 1001 NJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Behavioral and Experimental Economics, The Tinbergen Institute 1082 MS Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kimmo Eriksson
- Center for Cultural Evolution, Stockholm University 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hyun Euh
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Susann Fiedler
- Department of Strategy & Innovation, Institute of Cognition & Behavior, Vienna University of Economics and Business 1020 Vienna, Austria
| | - Justin Friesen
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3N 0G1, Canada
| | - Simon Gächter
- Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Camilo Garcia
- Laboratory of Social Interaction, Psychology Department, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz 91095, Mexico
| | - Roberto González
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
| | - Sylvie Graf
- Department of Personality and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences 602 00 Brno, The Czech Republic
| | - Katarzyna Growiec
- Department of Social and Personality Psychology, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities 03-815 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Serge Guimond
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale et Cognitive, Université Clermont Auvergne (CNRS, LAPSCO), Clermont-Ferrand F-63000 , France
| | - Martina Hřebíčková
- Department of Personality and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences 602 00 Brno, The Czech Republic
| | | | - Jeff Joireman
- Department of Marketing and International Business, Carson College of Business, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4730
| | - Gokhan Karagonlar
- Department of Business, School of Business, Dokuz Eylül University 35390 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Kerry Kawakami
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Toko Kiyonari
- School of Social Informatics, Aoyama Gakuin University, Kanagawa 252-5258, Japan
| | - Yu Kou
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University 100875 Beijing, China
| | - Alexandros-Andreas Kyrtsis
- Department of Political Science and Public Administration, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens 10678 Athens, Greece
| | - Siugmin Lay
- Centro de Medición Mide UC, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile 7820436 Santiago, Chile
| | - Geoffrey J Leonardelli
- Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6, Canada
| | - Norman P Li
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, Singapore 178903
| | - Yang Li
- Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya 4648610, Japan
| | | | - Zoi Manesi
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 1018 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ali Mashuri
- Department of Psychology, University of Brawijaya, Malang 65145, Indonesia
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Brawijaya, Malang 65145, Indonesia
| | - Aurelia Mok
- Department of Management, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Karin S Moser
- Business School, London South Bank University, London SE1 0AA, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ladislav Moták
- Centre de Recherche en Psychologie de la Cognition, du Langage et de l'Emotion, Maison de la Recherche, Aix-Marseille Université 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Adrian Netedu
- Department of Sociology and Social Work, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi 700460 Iasi, Romania
| | - Michael J Platow
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Karolina Raczka-Winkler
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Christopher P Reinders Folmer
- Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Law and Behavior, Department of Jurisprudence, Amsterdam Law School, University of Amsterdam, 1001 NA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cecilia Reyna
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Angelo Romano
- Social, Economic and Organisational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Shaul Shalvi
- Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making, Amsterdam School of Economics, University of Amsterdam 1001 NJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cláudia Simão
- Católica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics, Universidade Católica Portuguesa 1649-023 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Adam W Stivers
- Psychology Department, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA 99258
| | | | - Yannis Tsirbas
- Department of Political Science and Public Administration, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens 10678 Athens, Greece
| | - Sonja Utz
- Social Media Lab, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Leander van der Meij
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Sven Waldzus
- Centro de Investigação e Intervenção Social, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-026, Portugal
| | - Yiwen Wang
- Institute of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Bernd Weber
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, University of Bonn 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ori Weisel
- Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel 6997801
| | - Tim Wildschut
- Center for Research on Self and Identity, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Fabian Winter
- Mechanisms of Normative Change, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Junhui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 100101 Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 100049 Beijing, China
| | - Jose C Yong
- School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
| | - Paul A M Van Lange
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 1018 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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van der Meij L, Demetriou A, Tulin M, Méndez I, Dekker P, Pronk T. Hormones in speed-dating: The role of testosterone and cortisol in attraction. Horm Behav 2019; 116:104555. [PMID: 31348926 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence that testosterone and cortisol levels are related to the attraction of a romantic partner; testosterone levels relate to a wide range of sexual behaviors and cortisol is a crucial component in the response to stress. To investigate this, we conducted a speed-dating study among heterosexual singles. We measured salivary testosterone and cortisol changes in men and women (n = 79) when they participated in a romantic condition (meeting opposite-sex others, i.e., potential romantic partners), as well as a control condition (meeting same-sex others, i.e., potential friends). Over the course of the romantic speed-dating event, results showed that women's but not men's testosterone levels increased and cortisol levels decreased for both men and women. These findings indicate that men's testosterone and cortisol levels were elevated in anticipation of the event, whereas for women, this appears to only be the case for cortisol. Concerning the relationship between attraction and hormonal change, four important findings can be distinguished. First, men were more popular when they arrived at the romantic speed-dating event with elevated cortisol levels. Second, in both men and women, a larger change in cortisol levels during romantic speed-dating was related to more selectivity. Third, testosterone alone was unrelated to any romantic speed-dating outcome (selectivity or popularity). However, fourth, women who arrived at the romantic speed-dating event with higher testosterone levels were more selective when their anticipatory cortisol response was low. Overall, our findings suggest that changes in the hormone cortisol may be stronger associated with the attraction of a romantic partner than testosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander van der Meij
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Marina Tulin
- Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ileana Méndez
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Dekker
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tila Pronk
- Department of Social Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
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4
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Hidalgo V, Almela M, Villada C, van der Meij L, Salvador A. Verbal performance during stress in healthy older people: Influence of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and cortisol reactivity. Biol Psychol 2019; 149:107786. [PMID: 31639406 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The impact of stress on the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) response in older population is understudied. This study investigated, in healthy older people, whether the DHEA and cortisol responses to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was related to performance on this task. Both speech (rated by committee and self-rated) and arithmetic (number of mistakes) performance were assessed. Sixty-five participants (55-77 years old) were exposed to the TSST. Increases in negative affect, state anxiety, and cortisol levels could be observed, but there were no significant changes in positive affect or DHEA levels. Interestingly, a larger DHEA response was related to better verbal performance after controlling for the cortisol's reactivity. No relationships were found between hormonal responses and the arithmetic task performance. Our results suggest that, in healthy older people, an increase in DHEA levels in response to acute psychosocial stress may help them to cope with this stressor by increasing verbal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Hidalgo
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, Area of Psychobiology, University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain; Aragon Health Research Institute, Zaragoza, Spain; Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Almela
- Health Department, Valencian International University (VIU), Valencia, Spain
| | - Carolina Villada
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurobiology, Institute of Neurobiology, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Leander van der Meij
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, IDOCAL, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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5
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Ronay R, van der Meij L, Oostrom JK, Pollet TV. No Evidence for a Relationship Between Hair Testosterone Concentrations and 2D:4D Ratio or Risk Taking. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:30. [PMID: 29556180 PMCID: PMC5844925 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a recently developed alternative assay procedure to measure hormone levels from hair samples, we examined the relationships between testosterone, cortisol, 2D:4D ratio, overconfidence and risk taking. A total of 162 (53 male) participants provided a 3 cm sample of hair, a scanned image of their right and left hands from which we determined 2D:4D ratios, and completed measures of overconfidence and behavioral risk taking. While our sample size for males was less than ideal, our results revealed no evidence for a relationship between hair testosterone concentrations, 2D:4D ratios and risk taking. No relationships with overconfidence emerged. Partially consistent with the Dual Hormone Hypothesis, we did find evidence for the interacting effect of testosterone and cortisol on risk taking but only in men. Hair testosterone concentrations were positively related to risk taking when levels of hair cortisol concentrations were low, in men. Our results lend support to the suggestion that endogenous testosterone and 2D:4D ratio are unrelated and might then exert diverging activating vs. organizing effects on behavior. Comparing our results to those reported in the existing literature we speculate that behavioral correlates of testosterone such as direct effects on risk taking may be more sensitive to state-based fluctuations than baseline levels of testosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Ronay
- Department of Leadership and Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Leander van der Meij
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Janneke K Oostrom
- Department of Management & Organization, School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Thomas V Pollet
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
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van der Meij L, Gubbels N, Schaveling J, Almela M, van Vugt M. Hair cortisol and work stress: Importance of workload and stress model (JDCS or ERI). Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 89:78-85. [PMID: 29331802 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) are a potential physiological indicator of work related stress. However, studies that tested the relationship between HCC and self-reported stress in a work setting show mixed findings. This may be because few studies used worker samples that experience prolonged stress. Therefore, we compared a high workload sample (n = 81) and a normal workload sample (n = 91) and studied whether HCC was related to: (i) high job demands, low control, and low social support (JDCS model), and (ii) high effort, low reward, and high overcommitment (ERI model). Results showed that self-reported stress related to HCC only in the high workload sample and only for the variables of the ERI model. We found that HCC was higher when effort was high, reward low, and overcommitment high. An implication of this study is that a certain stress threshold may need to be reached to detect a relationship between self-reported stress and physiological measures such as HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander van der Meij
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Nikkie Gubbels
- Department of Education and Innovation, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Haarlem, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Schaveling
- Centre for Leadership & Management Development, Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Breukelen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mark van Vugt
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology and Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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van der Meij L, Schaveling J, van Vugt M. Basal testosterone, leadership and dominance: A field study and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 72:72-9. [PMID: 27372205 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This article examines the role of basal testosterone as a potential biological marker of leadership and hierarchy in the workplace. First, we report the result of a study with a sample of male employees from different corporate organizations in the Netherlands (n=125). Results showed that employees with higher basal testosterone levels reported a more authoritarian leadership style, but this relationship was absent among those who currently held a real management position (i.e., they had at least one subordinate). Furthermore, basal testosterone levels were not different between managers and non-managers, and testosterone was not associated with various indicators of status and hierarchy such as number of subordinates, income, and position in the organizational hierarchy. In our meta-analysis (second study), we showed that basal testosterone levels were not associated with leadership in men nor in women (9 studies, n=1103). Taken together, our findings show that basal testosterone is not associated with having a leadership position in the corporate world or related to leadership styles in leaders. We suggest that basal testosterone could play a role in acquiring leadership positions through dominant and authoritarian behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander van der Meij
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Jaap Schaveling
- Centre for Leadership & Management Development, Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Breukelen, The Netherlands.
| | - Mark van Vugt
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Pollet TV, van der Meij L. To Remove or not to Remove: the Impact of Outlier Handling on Significance Testing in Testosterone Data. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-016-0050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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9
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van der Meij L, Klauke F, Moore HL, Ludwig YS, Almela M, van Lange PAM. Football fan aggression: the importance of low Basal cortisol and a fair referee. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120103. [PMID: 25844939 PMCID: PMC4386810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fan aggression in football (soccer) is a societal problem that affects many countries worldwide. However, to date, most studies use an epidemiological or survey approach to explain football fan aggression. This study used a controlled laboratory study to advance a model of predictors for fan aggression. To do so, football fans (n = 74) saw a match summary in which their favorite team lost against their most important rival. Next, we measured levels of aggression with the hot sauce paradigm, in which fans were given the opportunity to administer a sample of hot sauce that a rival football supporter had to consume. To investigate if media exposure had the ability to reduce aggression, before the match fans saw a video in which fans of the rival team commented in a neutral, negative, or positive manner on their favorite team. Results showed that the media exposure did not affect aggression. However, participants displayed high levels of aggression and anger after having watched the match. Also, aggression was higher in fans with lower basal cortisol levels, which suggests that part of the aggression displayed was proactive and related to anti-social behavior. Furthermore, aggression was higher when the referee was blamed and aggression was lower when the performance of the participants' favorite team was blamed for the match result. These results indicate that aggression increased when the match result was perceived as unfair. Interventions that aim to reduce football fan aggression should give special attention to the perceived fairness of the match result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander van der Meij
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Fabian Klauke
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hannah L. Moore
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yannick S. Ludwig
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mercedes Almela
- Laboratory of Social Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, Valencia, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Paul A. M. van Lange
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Almela M, Hidalgo V, van der Meij L, Pulopulos MM, Villada C, Salvador A. A low cortisol response to acute stress is related to worse basal memory performance in older people. Front Aging Neurosci 2014; 6:157. [PMID: 25076903 PMCID: PMC4098020 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related memory decline has been associated with a faulty regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the magnitude of the stress-induced cortisol increase is related to memory performance when memory is measured in non-stressful conditions. To do so, declarative and working memory performance were measured in 31 men and 35 women between 55 and 77 years of age. On a different day, the magnitude of their cortisol response to acute psychosocial stress was measured. The relationship between the cortisol response and memory performance was U shaped: a low cortisol response to stress was related to poorer declarative and working memory performance, whereas those who did not increase their cortisol levels and those who had the largest cortisol increase had better declarative and working memory capabilities. Sex did not moderate these relationships. These results suggest that a low cortisol response to stress could reflect a defective HPA-axis response to stressors that is accompanied by poorer memory performance. Conversely, a high cortisol response seems to reflect a correct functioning of the HPA-axis and may protect against memory deficits in the later stages of human life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Almela
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| | - Vanesa Hidalgo
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| | - Leander van der Meij
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Matías M Pulopulos
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| | - Carolina Villada
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
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11
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Pollet TV, Cobey KD, van der Meij L. Testosterone levels are negatively associated with fatherhood [corrected] in males, but positively related to offspring count in fathers. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60018. [PMID: 23573228 PMCID: PMC3616053 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in testosterone (T) is thought to affect the allocation of effort between reproductive and parenting strategies. Here, using a large sample of elderly American men (n = 754) and women (n = 669) we examined the relationship between T and self-reported parenthood, as well as the relationship between T and number of reported children. Results supported previous findings from the literature, showing that fathers had lower T levels than men who report no children. Furthermore, we found that among fathers T levels were positively associated with the number of children a man reports close to the end of his lifespan. Results were maintained when controlling for a number of relevant factors such as time of T sampling, participant age, educational attainment, BMI, marital status and reported number of sex partners. In contrast, T was not associated with either motherhood or the number of children women had, suggesting that, at least in this sample, T does not influence the allocation of effort between reproductive and parenting strategies among women. Findings from this study contribute to the growing body of literature suggesting that, among men, pair bonding and paternal care are associated with lower T levels, while searching and acquiring sex partners is associated with higher T levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas V Pollet
- Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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12
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van der Meij L, Almela M, Buunk AP, Dubbs S, Salvador A. 2D:4D is negatively associated to aggressive dominance in men: a response to Voracek (2013). Aggress Behav 2013; 39:88-9. [PMID: 23386502 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We do not agree with the interpretation and evaluation of our article by Voracek. We feel that our results and our interpretation of the results are supported by our data analyses and do add to the current understanding of the relationship between 2D:4D and personality. We feel confident we can address many, if not all, of Voracek's criticisms. However, we fully agree that 2D:4D research would benefit from more replication and from the use of larger sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mercedes Almela
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience; University of Valencia; Valencia; Spain
| | | | - Shelli Dubbs
- Department of Psychology; University of Groningen; Groningen; The Netherlands
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience; University of Valencia; Valencia; Spain
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13
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Almela M, van der Meij L, Hidalgo V, Villada C, Salvador A. The cortisol awakening response and memory performance in older men and women. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:1929-40. [PMID: 22579682 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2011] [Revised: 04/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The activity and regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis has been related to cognitive decline during aging. This study investigated whether the cortisol awakening response (CAR) is related to memory performance among older adults. The sample was composed of 88 participants (44 men and 44 women) from 55 to 77 years old. The memory assessment consisted of two tests measuring declarative memory (a paragraph recall test and a word list learning test) and two tests measuring working memory (a spatial span test and a spatial working memory test). Among those participants who showed the CAR on two consecutive days, we found that a greater CAR was related to poorer declarative memory performance in both men and women, and to better working memory performance only in men. The results of our study suggest that the relationship between CAR and memory performance is negative in men and women when memory performance is largely dependent on hippocampal functioning (i.e. declarative memory), and positive, but only in men, when memory performance is largely dependent on prefrontal cortex functioning (i.e. working memory).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Almela
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
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14
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van der Meij L, Almela M, Buunk AP, Dubbs S, Salvador A. 2D:4D in men is related to aggressive dominance but not to sociable dominance. Aggress Behav 2012; 38:208-12. [PMID: 22531996 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that a smaller ratio between the length of the second and fourth digit (2D:4D) is an indicator of the exposure to prenatal testosterone (T). This study measured the 2D:4D of men and assessed dominance as a personality trait to investigate indirectly if the exposure to prenatal T is related to a dominant personality later in life. Results showed that men had a more aggressive dominant personality when having a more masculine (lower) 2D:4D, while there was no relationship between sociable dominance and 2D:4D. Findings from this study indicate that it is important to distinguish different forms of dominance since other studies failed to find relationships between dominance and 2D:4D.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mercedes Almela
- Department of Psychology; University of Groningen; Groningen; The Netherlands
| | | | - Shelli Dubbs
- Laboratory of Social Neuroscience; University of Valencia; Valencia; Spain
| | - Alicia Salvador
- Department of Psychology; University of Groningen; Groningen; The Netherlands
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15
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Almela M, Hidalgo V, Villada C, van der Meij L, Espín L, Gómez-Amor J, Salvador A. Salivary alpha-amylase response to acute psychosocial stress: The impact of age. Biol Psychol 2011; 87:421-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2010] [Revised: 05/23/2011] [Accepted: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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16
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van der Meij L, Almela M, Buunk AP, Fawcett TW, Salvador A. Men with elevated testosterone levels show more affiliative behaviours during interactions with women. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:202-8. [PMID: 21632627 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.0764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone (T) is thought to play a key role in male-male competition and courtship in many vertebrates, but its precise effects are unclear. We explored whether courtship behaviour in humans is modulated and preceded by changes in T. Pairs of healthy male students first competed in a non-physical contest in which their T levels became elevated. Each participant then had a short, informal interaction with either an unfamiliar man or woman. The sex of the stimulus person did not affect the participants' behaviour overall. However, in interactions with women, those men who had experienced a greater T increase during the contest subsequently showed more interest in the woman, engaged in more self-presentation, smiled more and made more eye contact. No such effects were seen in interactions with other men. This is the first study to provide direct evidence that elevating T during male-male competition is followed by increased affiliative behaviour towards women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander van der Meij
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen 9712 TS, The Netherlands.
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17
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Pollet TV, van der Meij L, Cobey KD, Buunk AP. Testosterone levels and their associations with lifetime number of opposite sex partners and remarriage in a large sample of American elderly men and women. Horm Behav 2011; 60:72-7. [PMID: 21420411 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2010] [Revised: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 03/10/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) has been argued to modulate mating and parenting behavior in many species, including humans. The role of T for these behaviors has been framed as the challenge hypothesis. Following this hypothesis, T should be positively associated with the number of opposite sex partners a male has. Indeed research in humans has shown that T is positively related to the number of opposite sex partners a young man has had. Here we test, in both men and women, whether this relationship extends to the lifetime number of sex partners. We also explored whether or not T was associated with current marital status, partnership status and whether or not the participant remarried. Using a large sample of elderly men and women (each sample n>700), we show that T is positively and sizably associated with the number of opposite sex partners in men. When controlling for potential confounding variables such as educational attainment, age, BMI, ethnicity, specific use of a medication and time of sampling this effect remained. For women, the relationship between T and number of opposite sex partners was positive but did not prove to be robust. In both men and women there was no evidence for an association between T and current marital status and partnership status (being in a relationship or not). However, remarriage was positively associated with T, but only in males. Results are discussed with reference to the literature on T and sex partners, remarriage and more broadly the challenge hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas V Pollet
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
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18
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van der Meij L, Buunk AP, Salvador A. Contact with attractive women affects the release of cortisol in men. Horm Behav 2010; 58:501-5. [PMID: 20427019 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2009] [Revised: 04/15/2010] [Accepted: 04/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that situations relevant for human mating can affect the levels of many hormones. This study focused on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis by measuring salivary cortisol levels in 84 young men prior to and after a period of short social contact with a woman or man. Results showed that after contact with another man the cortisol levels of the participants declined according to the circadian release pattern of cortisol. However, cortisol levels in men declined less when they had contact with a woman. Furthermore, cortisol levels of men increased when they perceived the woman with whom they had contact as attractive. Our findings provide indirect evidence for the role of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in human courtship. During social contact with attractive women, moderate increases in cortisol levels may reflect apprehension over an opportunity for courtship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander van der Meij
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Social Neuroscience, University of Valencia, Spain.
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19
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van der Meij L, Buunk AP, Almela M, Salvador A. Testosterone responses to competition: The opponent's psychological state makes it challenging. Biol Psychol 2010; 84:330-5. [PMID: 20359521 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2009] [Revised: 02/04/2010] [Accepted: 03/22/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone (T) increases after competition have typically been attributed to winning, yet there is also evidence that being victorious is not in itself sufficient to provoke a T response. Instead, it has been proposed that T responses are moderated by psychological processes. Here, we investigated whether the opponent's psychological state affected hormonal changes in men competing face to face on a rigged computer task. The results show that, irrespective of outcome, the competition led to increases in heart rate and T levels. We found that the T levels of the participants increased more when their opponents had high self-efficacy and that T levels were not influenced by participants' own psychological state. Furthermore, the T levels of losers, but not winners, increased more when their opponent judged the competition to have low importance. The findings from this study are consistent with the challenge hypothesis. Both winners and losers were being challenged to compete for social status; therefore their T responses did not differ. In addition, the psychological state of the opponent makes a competition challenging and subsequently triggers T responses.
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20
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van der Meij L, Buunk AP, van de Sande JP, Salvador A. The presence of a woman increases testosterone in aggressive dominant men. Horm Behav 2008; 54:640-4. [PMID: 18675269 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2008] [Revised: 06/30/2008] [Accepted: 07/01/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In line with the challenge hypothesis, this study investigated the effects of the presence of a woman on the testosterone (T) levels of young men. An informal contact with a woman of approximately 5 min resulted in an increase in salivary T among men. These effects occurred particularly in men with an aggressive dominant personality. In addition, higher salivary T levels were related to a more aggressively dominant personality, being sexual inactive for a month or more, and not being involved in a committed, romantic relationship. The most important findings of this study are that the short presence of a woman induces specific hormonal reactions in men, and that these effects are stronger for aggressively dominant men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leander van der Meij
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
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