SEX DIFFERENCE IN TESTOSTERONE RESPONSE TO A VIDEO GAME CONTEST

Testosterone (T) and cortisol(C) were assayed from saliva samples give n by young men (II = 28) and women (n = 32) before, during, and after competing with a same-sex partner in a video game, The T response to t he competition is different in each sex; the C response is the same, M ale results confirm prior reports of a precontest rise in testosterone , Male results did not confirm previous findings that, after a contest , the testosterone of winners is higher than that of losers, perhaps b ecause the video game contest produced little mood difference between male winners and losers, Unlike male testosterone, female testosterone generally decreased throughout the experiment, Trends in T and C are parallel in women but not in men, Apparently T works differently in co mpetition between men than between women, (C) 1997 Elsevier Science In c.