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Hormone-behavior associations in early infancy

Gerianne M Alexander1, Teresa Wilcox, Mary Elizabeth Farmer

  • 1Deparment of Psychology, TAMU-2435, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA. gma@psyc.tamu.edu

Hormones and Behavior
|August 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Hormones influence early infant behavior. In 3-4 month old boys, higher androgen levels correlated with preferences for male-typical toys and groups, suggesting early sex-linked behavioral development.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Endocrinology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • Hormonal changes in early postnatal life are increasingly recognized for physiological significance.
  • The behavioral impact of these early hormonal shifts in human infants remains largely unexplored.
  • Understanding early hormone-behavior links is crucial for developmental insights.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between hormones and behavior in early infancy.
  • To test if prenatal hormone exposure, indicated by digit ratio, and postnatal hormone levels predict behavioral preferences in infants.
  • To examine sex-linked behavioral differences in response to stimuli in 3-4 month old infants.

Main Methods:

  • Salivary hormone levels and digit ratios were measured in 41 male and female infants (3-4 months old).
  • Infants viewed videos with stimuli (toys, groups) known to elicit sex-differentiated preferences in older children.
  • An eye-tracker recorded visual fixations and looking times to assess stimulus preference.

Main Results:

  • In female infants, no significant relationship was found between hormone levels and visual preferences.
  • In male infants, higher androgen levels were associated with a stronger preference for male-typical stimuli.
  • Digit ratio was not significantly related to behavioral preferences in either sex.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence linking hormones to emerging sex-linked behavior in early human development.
  • Androgens may play a role in shaping early behavioral preferences in male infants.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay of hormones and behavior during infancy.

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