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Predicting Social Behavior: Basal and Dynamic Joint Effects of Testosterone and Cortisol

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Abstract

There is growing evidence that steroid hormones interact to shape social behavior. In particular, regarding basal hormonal levels, cortisol has repeatedly been found to moderate the effect of testosterone on behavior. However, the role of contextual and hormone-altering factors such as acute stress on dual-hormone associations is largely unknown. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether baseline testosterone and cortisol levels predict dominance- and friendliness-related social behavior. Additionally, we focused on the moderating role of acute stress. In a laboratory study, 42 female and 38 male participants were allocated to same-sex dyads. Each dyad member was randomly assigned to a stress or control condition. Subsequently, the dyads performed a competitive role-play. Salivary cortisol, testosterone and mood levels were repeatedly assessed. Social behavior (dominance and friendliness) was rated based on the videotaped role-plays. For the combined sample of men and women in the stress condition, we found a negative relation between basal testosterone levels and friendliness, but only when basal cortisol levels were low. Interactions between testosterone and cortisol responses did not predict social behavior. In conclusion, our findings provide first evidence for the dual-hormone hypothesis in the context of interpersonal theory and reinforce the relevance of considering contextual factors such as acute stress.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the help of Rita Tatiana Amiel Castro and Serena Fiacco for their helpful comments and English corrections on an earlier draft of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14/26, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland

    Niclà Lozza, Corinne Spoerri, Ulrike Ehlert, Priska Hubmann, Marion Kesselring, Firouzeh Farahmand, Silja Sollberger & Roberto La Marca

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  1. Niclà Lozza
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  2. Corinne Spoerri
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  3. Ulrike Ehlert
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  4. Priska Hubmann
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  6. Firouzeh Farahmand
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  7. Silja Sollberger
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  8. Roberto La Marca
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Correspondence to Roberto La Marca.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The last author (RL) was supported by a grant of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) (grant number PBZHP1–133439).

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Lozza, N., Spoerri, C., Ehlert, U. et al. Predicting Social Behavior: Basal and Dynamic Joint Effects of Testosterone and Cortisol. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 3, 255–274 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-017-0069-9

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