TESTOSTERONE-FUELLED MEN ARE STUBBORN AND HARD TO WORK WITH

[Daanyeer]

Alpha males get a beta in the board room: Testosterone-fuelled men are stubborn and hard to work with, say scientists

By Rob Waugh

1st February 2012



Macho men might beg to differ, but it seems that testosterone doesn't lead to good results in the workplace.
Testosterone-fuelled individuals are more likely to be overconfident and stubborn, a study suggests.

Boosting levels of the male sex hormone can lead to poor co-operation.
In simulated work environments, extra testosterone was associated with volunteers bein egotistical and favouring their own selections over their partner’s.
‘Testosterone also affects our decisions, by making us more egotistical,' says Dr Nick Wright, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL.

‘Most of the time, this allows us to seek the best solution to a problem, but sometimes too much testosterone can help blind us to other people’s views.'

'This can be very significant when we are talking about a dominant individual trying to assert his or her opinion in, say, a jury.’
Scientists didn't test the effect on alpha males, though - they tested it in women, who
have low base levels of testosterone which are easier to alter.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) conducted tests on 17 pairs of female volunteers.

Over the course of two days spaced a week apart, both participants in each pair were given a testosterone supplement and then a ‘dummy’ placebo.

The women performed computer-based tasks designed to assess their levels of co-operation.

When they agreed on what images were being shown, they moved on to the next trial. If they disagreed, they were asked to discuss the problem and reach a joint decision.
The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, could have implications for the way dominant individuals influence group decisions.
Study leader Dr Nick Wright, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL, said: ‘When we are making decisions in groups, we tread a fine line between co-operation and self-interest.
‘Too much co-operation and we may never get our way, but if we are too self-orientated, we are likely to ignore people who have real insight.’
Previous research has already shown that another hormone, oxytocin, makes people more likely to bond and co-operate.

'Our behaviour seems to be moderated by our hormones - we already know that oxytocin can make us more co-operative, but if this were the only hormone acting on our decision-making in groups, this would make our decisions very skewed,’ said Dr Wright.
Testosterone plays a role in a range of social behaviours. In chimpanzees, levels of the hormone rise ahead of a confrontation or fight. Studies have also correlated increased anti-social behaviour and aggression in female prisoners with higher testosterone levels.
Scientists believe the hormone may have a general role in motivating people to dominate others.
John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental health at the Wellcome Trust, said: ‘Co-operating with others has obvious advantages for sharing skills and experience, but we know it doesn’t always work, particularly if one alpha male or alpha female dominates the decision-making.
‘This result helps us understand at a hormonal level the factors that can disrupt our attempts to work together.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z1lKuuOqM0

[Basra-]

I think the study is weak and dumb. It should NOT have concetrated so much as Testosterone fuelled men being more proned to ego, but it should have foccussed more on Testrposterone fuelled men prone tempramental outburst. (Ego is not a mark of excessive testosterones. Ego is a mark of all human beings, but in a larger content concetration to intelligent people) That means, they are easily irritable, they are moody and explode easily therefore, not conducisim to a peaceful, sissy office environment. By the way, women suffer from this too, i used to work with a woman who was very smart and very sharp witted but extremely tempramental. She would explode if things didnt go her way. She would go into a temprary insanity deal and then---later recover, as if fresh from a fainting episode or a drunk episode, and appologizing all over the place.