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Salivary testosterone and self‐report aggressive and pro‐social personality characteristics in men and women
Author(s) -
Harris Julie Aitken,
Rushton J. Philippe,
Hampson Elizabeth,
Jackson Douglas N.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2337(1996)22:5<321::aid-ab1>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - aggression , personality , psychology , testosterone (patch) , big five personality traits , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , poison control , social psychology , endocrinology , medicine , medical emergency
Measures of salivary testosterone and the personality dimensions of aggression and pro‐social behavior were obtained in 306 (155 male and 151 female) university students. Each participant provided two samples of saliva and completed ten self‐report personality scales from multiple inventories. A factor analysis of the personality scales produced two factors, an aggression factor and a pro‐social behavior factor. Men averaged five times the amount of salivary testosterone as women (99 pg/ml vs. 18.5 pg/ml) and rated themselves as more aggressive and less nurturant. Within each sex, testosterone was positively correlated with aggression and negatively correlated with pro‐social personality. Structural equation modelling analyses suggested that a direct effect model best described the relationship between salivary testosterone and the latent personality dimensions of aggression and pro‐social behavior. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.