Hormones More testosterone significantly changed the thought processes

Men decide under the influence of testosterone rather after gut feeling
Testosterone is considered a male sex hormone, where the hormone actually occurs in the body of women and men. However, testosterone in men shows in increased concentration and with different effects. Now, scientists have studied the effects of hormone on man's thought processes and found that high levels of testosterone inhibit cognitive self-reflection and encourage intuitive decision-making. The decision-making process is therefore significantly influenced by the hormone.

The research team headed by Prof. Colin Camerer of the California Institute of Technology has in his recent study on 243 subjects examined whether men rely on high testosterone concentrations rather rely on their intuitive judgments and reduce cognitive reflection. The scientists were able to clearly confirm this hypothesis in the investigations. Due to the influence of testosterone men no longer examine how their gut feeling really makes sense, Camerer and colleagues report in a press release from the university.

Testosterone influences thinking and decision-making in men. Under the influence of the sex hormone, they tend to make hasty decisions about gut feelings. (Image: Drobot Dean / fotolia.com)

Decision-making influenced by testosterone
According to the researchers, subjects were either given a high dose of testosterone or a placebo before undergoing a cognitive reflection test to validate their decision-making. In the test, the subjects were asked before tasks such as: "A bat and a ball cost a total of 1.10 euros. The bat costs 1 euro more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? "Intuitively, many people would answer here that the ball costs 10 cents, but that's wrong. Because then the bat would cost 1.10 euros and the sum would be 1.20 euros. The correct answer is: The ball costs 5 cents and the bat costs 1.05 euros.

Less correct answers under the influence of testosterone
Those who rely on their gut feel, according to the researchers, in appropriate tests tends to the wrong answer, while other people recognize their initial error by cognitive reflection and get to the right answer. The results show that significantly fewer correct answers were achieved in the testosterone group than in the placebo group, the US scientists continue to report. On average, the subjects had 20 percent less questions answered correctly under the influence of testosterone. Also, the participants in the testosterone group had given a wrong answers faster and were slower to their correct answers.

Increased self-confidence Cause of changed decision-making?
The current study results "show a clear and robust causal effect of testosterone on human cognition and decision-making," says Prof. Camerer. The subjects of the testosterone group would have tended to be more intuitive judgments, the first guess was usually wrong, the US scientists further. Either the testosterone inhibits the process of mental control of your own thinking or it increases the feeling that the intuitive decision must definitely be correct. The scientists rather suspect in the second point, so to speak in an increased self-confidence, the explanation for the observed phenomenon. Thus, testosterone increase self-confidence and those affected do not have enough self-doubt to correct their mistakes, explains Prof. Camerer. (Fp)