Implicit power motivation moderates men's testosterone responses to imagined and real dominance success

This study tested the hypothesis that implicit power motivation moderates i ndividuals' testosterone responses to the anticipated success in and actual outcome of a dominance contest. Salivary testosterone levels were assessed in 42 male students at the beginning of the study, after they had imagined a success in an ensuing power contest, and immediately after the contest h ad taken place. Contest outcome (winning or losing against a competitor on a speed-based task) was varied experimentally. Participants' power motive w as assessed with a picture-story exercise, in which are assertive, personal ized (p Power) component was distinguished from an altruistic, socialized ( s Power) component. In contrast to ail other participants, individuals high only in p Power (a) had elevated testosterone after imagining a success in a subsequent dominance contest and (b) continued to have high testosterone levels after actually winning, but not after losing, the contest. (C) 1999 Academic Press.