MALE TESTOSTERONE LINKED TO HIGH SOCIAL-DOMINANCE BUT LOW PHYSICAL AGGRESSION IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE

Background: The association of male pubertal testosterone with social dominance and physical aggression was studied in a population sample o f boys followed from age 6 to 13 years to understand the origin of the links between violent behavior and gonadal hormones. Method: Physical aggression was assessed from the end of kindergarten to the end of el ementary school by teachers and peers (aged 6 to 12 years). Social dom inance and testosterone levels were assessed at 13 years of age during a I-day visit to a laboratory with four unfamiliar peers. Results: Bo ys perceived as socially dominant by unfamiliar peers were found to ha ve concurrently higher levels of testosterone than boys perceived as l ess socially dominant. In contrast, boys who had a history of high phy sical aggression, from age 6 to 12, were found to have lower testoster one levels at age 13 compared with boys with no history of high physic al aggression. The farmer were also failing in school and were unpopul ar with their peers. Conclusions: Both concurrent and longitudinal ana lyses indicated that testosterone levels were positively associated wi th social success rather than with physical aggression. High testoster one levels in adolescent boys may thus be regarded as a marker of soci al success in a given context, rather than of social maladjustment as suggested in previous studies.