Testosterone

Question 1

What is testosterone?

Answer 1

An androgen or male hormone. Female also have testosterone but on lower levels

Question 2

How does testosterone link to aggression?

Answer 2

Increased levels of testosterone are thought to be related to increased levels of aggression

Question 3

What are the three ways that testosterone affects aggression?

Answer 3

• high aromatase (enzyme) gives the individual more testosterone which causes aggression
• high levels of testosterone cause low activity in the arbitrator frontal cortex which increases emotion that causes aggression
• higher testosterone levels cause low serotonin which increases aggression

Question 4

Who conducted the first piece of research to support the role of testosterone?

Answer 4

Pillay

Question 5

What did Pillay do and find?

Answer 5

Studied 94 athletes and tested their testosterone levels by using samples of saliva. He found that the males and females in the most aggressive sports had higher levels of testosterone. This shows that high testosterone levels could have an effect on aggression

Question 6

Who conducted the second piece of research to support the role of testosterone?

Answer 6

Wagner et al

Question 7

What did Wagner et al find?

Answer 7

If a male mouse is castrated, overall levels of aggression reduced but if given testosterone then aggression levels increase. This suggests that high testosterone levels could be linked to aggression

Question 8

What are four limitations of testosterone and aggression?

Answer 8

• animal research
• aggression is measured through questionnaires therefore the predictive validity is poor
• testosterone may only be able to explain certain types of aggression
• research is correlational

Question 9

What is a strength of testosterone and aggression?

Answer 9

It can be measured using saliva samples which are accurate measures and this increases the internal validity of the research