testosterone and high-status goods

Elevated testosterone levels influence men’s preference for high-status products.

Testosterone is often associated with aggression. However, it could have more to do with social competition, according to a new study.

After measuring their testosterone levels through saliva samples, researchers randomly administered either a testosterone (n=125) or a placebo (n=118) topical gel to 243 males.

Then, the team asked the subjects to choose between clothing items differing in their association with social status (study 1).

In a second study, participants were asked to choose between watches described to sound status-enhancing, power-enhancing, or simply of better quality.

Results showed that boosting T. levels did influence the participants’ choice and preference for high-status goods. The same was not true for power-enhancing products.

Interestingly, baseline T. levels were also predictive of such a preference.

Source: Nave et alia (2018)