[OA] Bird BM, Zilioli S. Testosterone. In: Shackelford TK, Weekes-Shackelford VA, eds. Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2018:1-4. https://www.researchgate.net/profil...nks/5a6646d24585158bca544eb2/Testosterone.pdf
A steroid hormone present in various species, often in much greater quantities in males than females. In evolutionary psychology and endocrinology, testosterone is thought to play a key role in mediating life history trade-offs.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone involved in many bodily processes, including reproductive physiology (e.g., spermatogenesis), morphology (e.g., development of secondary sexual characteristics), psychology (e.g., sexual desire), and behavior (e.g., aggression)—each of which plays an important role in survival and reproduction. Testosterone effects clearly manifest during puberty when its levels rise significantly.
However, after puberty, short-lived testosterone fluctuations continue to affect some of these processes (e.g., aggression and sexual desire). Such fluctuations take place in response to environmental inputs, including changes in temperature, interactions with potential mates, and competitive exchanges.
This entry will provide an overview of testosterone by briefly discussing its history and mechanisms (e.g., production, action), followed by a review of theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding how it may be implicated in behavioral processes that are critical to fitness optimization.
A steroid hormone present in various species, often in much greater quantities in males than females. In evolutionary psychology and endocrinology, testosterone is thought to play a key role in mediating life history trade-offs.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone involved in many bodily processes, including reproductive physiology (e.g., spermatogenesis), morphology (e.g., development of secondary sexual characteristics), psychology (e.g., sexual desire), and behavior (e.g., aggression)—each of which plays an important role in survival and reproduction. Testosterone effects clearly manifest during puberty when its levels rise significantly.
However, after puberty, short-lived testosterone fluctuations continue to affect some of these processes (e.g., aggression and sexual desire). Such fluctuations take place in response to environmental inputs, including changes in temperature, interactions with potential mates, and competitive exchanges.
This entry will provide an overview of testosterone by briefly discussing its history and mechanisms (e.g., production, action), followed by a review of theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding how it may be implicated in behavioral processes that are critical to fitness optimization.
