Why are some people inclined take more risks what others? This can be influenced by a variety of factors, from infection with the protozoan toxoplasmosis to the education each person has received. However, often one of the factors most associated with impulsivity and risk taking, especially in relation to economic decisionsit’s testosterone.
This hormone is found in both men and women, but in the former it is higher. This is usually due to the fact that men are often more violent, aggressive when driving, or impulsive when making decisions. In fact, there are some hypotheses that link this to the fact that women tend to live longer than men. We can say that impulses sometimes overcome the survival instinct.
In any case, according to a study recently published by scientists from Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden and Nipissing UniversityIn Canada, the link between testosterone and risky economic decisions may not be as clear.
They justify their study by saying that most of the research on this topic has been done with very few participants. They gathered 1000 men aged 18 to 45 years and conducted a double-blind clinical study. The most complete analysis of the influence of a substance on a specific effect. So they saw that, in principle, testosterone doesn’t have much to do with these types of impulses. You know, if you blamed her when you bought that very expensive car you didn’t need, go find another excuse.
Why is testosterone associated with impulsive reactions?
In addition to its role in sexual differentiation, testosterone also has great effect on the brain. Numerous studies show that when its levels are very high, it affects the connectivity of the amygdala, an area of the brain involved in emotional regulation and therefore also impulse control.
It also appears that changes in testosterone levels affect serotonin levels, which are also associated with impulsivity and aggression. All of this has led to the belief that testosterone may promote impulsivity. In fact, this has been more than proven. As a consequence, it is also associated with aggression, both towards other people and in individual behavior such as driving and aggression. make rash decisions.
But does it really influence economic decisions?
Studies linking testosterone to impulsive financial decisions are usually conducted with very small numbers of participants. One of the largest was held in 2017 with the participation of 243 people.
For this reason, the authors of the just published study wanted to conduct a study involving more participants. They recruited 1,000 volunteers who completed a double-blind clinical trial. This means that the placebo was randomly assigned so that neither participants nor researchers knew who received placebo and who received testosterone.
Half of the participants received a dose of testosterone nasally, and the other half received an equal dose of placebo in the same manner. 30 minutes laterwhen the hormone was about to take effect, they had to answer a very common survey in the field of economics to evaluate decision-making in this area. This test contains questions like risk taking, generosity, willingness to compete, and stock preference.
One would expect that volunteers given testosterone would be more impulsive in their decision making. Even if they showed less generosity and more competitiveness. However, there were no significant differences between both groups in any of the parameters. Testosterone had no effect on economic decisions.
Are there any restrictions?
It is a fact that testosterone is associated with impulsivity and aggressiveness. There are many studies in which higher levels of this hormone are measured in men who have committed violent crimes. However, this does not seem to apply to economic decisions.
The study is not only the most comprehensive in terms of the number of participants. It is also intended for eliminate many interfering factors this may affect the results. However, the fact that the testosterone dose effect was only measured at one point in life and that no women participated (remember, we all have testosterone in our bodies) may be a limitation.
We will have to study this topic further, taking into account additional factors. In the meantime, like we said, find another excuse. If you buy without thinking, it’s not the fault of what your testicles are doing.
Source: Hiper Textual
