Testosterone is associated with affective feedback processing in ambiguous decision-making

Area of Science:

• Neuroendocrinology
• Behavioral Economics
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Testosterone is often linked to risk-taking, but empirical evidence is inconsistent.
• The Somatic Marker Hypothesis suggests physiological responses guide decision-making.
• This study investigated testosterone's role in moderating physiological responses during risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between testosterone levels and risk-taking behavior.
• To test if testosterone moderates physiological responses (electrodermal activity) during decision-making.
• To explore testosterone's influence on how feedback from choices affects subsequent risk-taking.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-five adults completed the Iowa Gambling Task, a measure of risk-taking.
• Salivary testosterone levels were assessed.
• Electrodermal activity was recorded to measure physiological responses before and after card selections.
• Multilevel logistic and multiverse analyses were employed.

Main Results:

• Inter-individually, testosterone levels were not associated with overall risk-taking.
• Testosterone did not significantly moderate anticipatory physiological responses and risk-taking.
• Exploratory analyses showed testosterone moderated feedback-related physiological responses and risk-taking in men, with higher testosterone linked to stronger feedback-driven risk adjustment.
• Higher testosterone was associated with increased risk-taking after losses (loss chasing) across sexes.

Conclusions:

• Testosterone does not appear to influence general risk-taking propensity.
• Testosterone's role is more nuanced, affecting how individuals utilize physiological feedback to adjust decisions intra-individually.
• Findings highlight sex-specific effects and the impact of testosterone on feedback processing in risky decision-making.