Young men with high testosterone are more likely to behave, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Psychology “immoral” Compared to men with low testosterone levels, but only when they are competing to seduce the same woman.

saliva samples

To achieve this surprising finding, researchers collected saliva samples from 83 male and 91 female university students. “We measured their ‘baseline testosterone,’ which is the level of testosterone that participants circulated in their bodies when they were resting,” One of the study’s two authors, explains Mr Nepomuseno.

The men and women were then divided into two groups: some were asked to think about a neutral situation (the last time they did laundry), others about a seduction contest. Once these situations were visualized, participants filled out a questionnaire that measured their willingness to engage in risky/unethical behavior or not. For example, we asked them if they were up for it.”Make up a false income statement” Where “To have a relationship with a married man or woman”.

“A behavior can be explained by our physiology”

The researchers then found that testosterone levels were positively associated with willingness to engage in immoral behavior, but only in men who considered romantic competition. Higher testosterone levels were not related to willingness to engage in deviant behavior in men who had previously thought about doing their laundry, nor in any of the women in the group.

“When trying to explain behavior, most people think about cognitive or cultural forces. However, I think it’s important to remember that humans are also biological beings. So our study shows that our behaviors part of it can be explained by our physiology”, concludes Mr. Nepomuseno.