Abstract
In
nonhumans, the sex steroid testosterone regulates reproductive
behaviors such as fighting between males and mating. In humans,
correlational studies have linked testosterone with aggression and
disorders associated with poor impulse control, but the
neuropsychological processes at work are poorly understood. Building on a
dual-process framework, we propose a mechanism underlying
testosterone’s behavioral effects in humans: reduction in cognitive
reflection. In the largest study of behavioral effects of testosterone
administration to date, 243 men received either testosterone or placebo
and took the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), which estimates the
capacity to override incorrect intuitive judgments with deliberate
correct responses. Testosterone administration reduced CRT scores. The
effect remained after we controlled for age, mood, math skills, whether
participants believed they had received the placebo or testosterone, and
the effects of 14 additional hormones, and it held for each of the CRT
questions in isolation. Our findings suggest a mechanism underlying
testosterone’s diverse effects on humans’ judgments and decision making
and provide novel, clear, and testable predictions.
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