Testosterone's role in modulating human behaviors relevant to mating and parenting

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Psychology
• Behavioral Endocrinology
• Human Reproductive Behavior

Background:

• Testosterone (T) is a hormone implicated in human mating and parenting behaviors.
• Understanding T's role is crucial for comprehending reproductive strategies and social behaviors.
• Existing research presents a complex picture of T's influence, necessitating a comprehensive review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review evidence on the relationship between testosterone levels and human mating/parenting behaviors.
• To investigate whether testosterone responds to reproduction-relevant cues and acute changes predict behavior.
• To assess the causal effects of exogenous testosterone administration on these behaviors and test trade-off hypotheses.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of studies examining basal T levels, T responses to cues, and effects of exogenous T.
• Analysis of evidence related to mating effort, reproductive competition, parenting effort, and nurturance.
• Inclusion of studies on both men and women, noting differences in research prevalence.

Main Results:

• Mixed support was found for trade-off hypotheses, where high T correlates with mating effort and low T with parenting.
• Testosterone's function in modulating mating and parenting appears nuanced, context-dependent, and influenced by individual traits.
• Findings were generally consistent between men and women, though research on women was less abundant.

Conclusions:

• The adaptive function of testosterone in human mating and parenting is complex and not fully explained by simple trade-off models.
• Contextual factors and individual differences significantly moderate testosterone's effects on behavior.
• Further research, particularly on women, is needed to fully elucidate testosterone's multifaceted role.