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Combining Behavioral Endocrinology and Experimental Economics: Testosterone and Social Decision Making
Published on: March 2, 2011
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Sex difference in the relationship between salivary testosterone and inter-temporal choice
Hirokazu Doi1, Shota Nishitani1, Kazuyuki Shinohara1
1Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
Hormones and Behavior
|December 23, 2014
Summary
Testosterone levels influence how people value future rewards. Higher testosterone correlated with greater delay discounting in females, but less in males, suggesting sex-specific effects on decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Neuroeconomics
- Behavioral Economics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Humans exhibit delay discounting, preferring immediate rewards over larger future ones.
- Gonadal steroids, including testosterone, are implicated in neural mechanisms of delay discounting.
- The precise relationship between testosterone levels and delay discounting, particularly in females, remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between salivary testosterone concentrations and discounting rates in both delay- and probability-discounting tasks.
- To examine potential sex differences in the relationship between testosterone and inter-temporal choice.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of healthy male and female participants.
- Measurement of salivary testosterone concentrations.
- Assessment of discounting rates using delay- and probability-discounting tasks.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was observed between testosterone levels and delay-discounting rates in females.
- A negative correlation was found between testosterone levels and delay-discounting rates in males.
- Testosterone concentrations showed no significant relationship with probability-discounting rates.
Conclusions:
- Testosterone levels are differentially associated with delay discounting in males and females.
- Observed sex differences may indicate a curvilinear effect of testosterone or distinct neural processing pathways.
- Further research is needed to establish the causal role of testosterone in sex differences in inter-temporal decision-making.
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