Gaby
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara reached an unexpected conclusion: testosterone makes men more romantic. It appears to promote emotional courtship more than sexual attraction.
Their new study indicates that higher testosterone levels trigger competitive behavior in men.
What Did the Scientists Reveal?
For a long time, it was believed that men’s sexual desire was closely linked to testosterone levels. But is that really the case? Could this hormone be responsible for more than just libido?
The research team collected daily data on testosterone levels and sexual desire from 41 single men for 31 days. The researchers found no evidence that men experienced increased desire on days when their testosterone levels were elevated.
However, on days when the men interacted with potential romantic partners, they reported more active attempts at courtship.
The study’s results, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggest that testosterone may be more closely related to courtship behaviors than to sexual desire.
“This research provides direct, naturalistic evidence that daily fluctuations in sexual desire among men are not significantly linked to daily fluctuations in testosterone levels,” the authors write.
By contrast, “when participants reported direct social interaction with a potential partner,” the authors observed elevated testosterone levels, according to coverage in the Daily Mail.
“The analyses demonstrated a positive connection between courtship and testosterone levels among single men,” the authors write. They suggested that the findings call into question prescribing testosterone to treat low sexual desire in men who already have normal hormone levels.
