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Testosterone, social success

High testosterone levels, previously linked to social maladjustment in male adolescents, might actually be a marker for social success, according to a Canadian study.

Researchers recruited 178 male subjects and studied them from kindergarten through age 13. Subjects were: at Montreal schools in low socio-economic areas; born to Caucasian, French-speaking parents who were Canadian by birth; and living with parents of moderate to low education levels.

When subjects were ages 6, 10, 11, and 12, their teachers and peers assessed toughness and leadership; teachers alone rated subjects' anxiety and childhood aggression. At age 13, subjects spent one day in a lab for assessment of social dominance and testosterone levels during interactions with unfamiliar peers.

Testosterone levels were measured in saliva samples collected four times during the day.