Mehta Pranjal H, Josephs Robert A
Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A8000, Austin, TX 78712-0187, USA.
Horm Behav. 2006 Dec;50(5):684-92. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2006.07.001. Epub 2006 Aug 22.
Testosterone (T) levels can fluctuate after wins and losses, but surprisingly, there are no empirical studies in humans that have tested whether these post-competition T changes predict the social behaviors that follow. The present study examined whether changes in T after losing in a competition predicted who wanted to compete again in a second competition. Sixty-four males provided saliva samples immediately before and 15 min after a rigged one-on-one competition. After the second saliva sample, participants chose whether or not to compete again against the same competitor. Winners did not increase in T relative to losers, but pre-competition cortisol, change in cortisol, and pre-competition T were associated with T changes, especially in losers. Importantly, changes in T predicted decisions to compete again in losers. Losers who increased in T were more likely to choose to compete again than losers who decreased in T. T changes were unrelated to decisions to compete again in winners. These findings provide novel data in humans that T changes after a status loss predict subsequent social behavior. Our discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of these findings for the link between short-term T changes and status-related behaviors.
睾酮（T）水平在输赢后会发生波动，但令人惊讶的是，尚无针对人类的实证研究检验过这些赛后T变化是否能预测随后的社会行为。本研究考察了在一场比赛中失利后T的变化是否能预测谁会想要在第二场比赛中再次参赛。64名男性在一场被操纵的一对一比赛前及比赛后15分钟立即提供唾液样本。在采集第二份唾液样本后，参与者选择是否再次与同一对手竞争。与失利者相比，获胜者的T水平并未升高，但赛前皮质醇、皮质醇变化以及赛前T与T的变化有关，尤其是在失利者中。重要的是，T的变化预测了失利者再次参赛的决定。T水平升高的失利者比T水平降低的失利者更有可能选择再次参赛。T的变化与获胜者再次参赛的决定无关。这些发现为人类提供了新的数据，表明地位丧失后T的变化可预测随后的社会行为。我们的讨论聚焦于这些发现对于短期T变化与地位相关行为之间联系的理论意义。
