A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy?

Tycho J. Dekkers; Joost A. Agelink van Rentergem; Bren Meijer; Arne Popma; Eline Wagemaker; Hilde M. Huizenga

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.004

A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy?

Tycho J. Dekkers, Joost A. Agelink van Rentergem, Bren Meijer, Arne Popma, Eline Wagemaker, Hilde M. Huizenga

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

According to the dual-hormone hypothesis, the relationship between testosterone and status-relevant behavior is moderated by cortisol, suggesting this relationship only exists when cortisol is low. In the current study, a meta-analysis (including 30 papers with 33 studies, 49 effect sizes, n = 8538) on the interaction effect of testosterone and cortisol on status-relevant behavior (i.e. status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy) was performed. There was only marginal support for the dual-hormone hypothesis: The effect size of the interaction between testosterone and cortisol on status-relevant behavior was significant but very small (r = -.061, p =.026), which was corroborated by follow-up meta-analyses on simple slopes on low and high cortisol. Effect sizes were largest for direct status measures, although not significantly different from other outcome measures. Similarly, effect sizes seemed larger for men than for women. However, robustness analyses indicated signs of publication bias, enhanced significance due to potential flexibility in data-analysis, and a lack of power of individual studies, emphasizing the need for a large, pre-registered study.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	250-271
Number of pages	22
Journal	Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
Volume	96
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.004
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2019

Cite this

Dekkers, T. J., van Rentergem, J. A. A., Meijer, B., Popma, A., Wagemaker, E., & Huizenga, H. M. (2019). A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy? Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 96, 250-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.004

Dekkers, Tycho J. ; van Rentergem, Joost A. Agelink ; Meijer, Bren ; Popma, Arne ; Wagemaker, Eline ; Huizenga, Hilde M. / A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy?. In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 2019 ; Vol. 96. pp. 250-271.

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title = "A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy?",

abstract = "According to the dual-hormone hypothesis, the relationship between testosterone and status-relevant behavior is moderated by cortisol, suggesting this relationship only exists when cortisol is low. In the current study, a meta-analysis (including 30 papers with 33 studies, 49 effect sizes, n = 8538) on the interaction effect of testosterone and cortisol on status-relevant behavior (i.e. status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy) was performed. There was only marginal support for the dual-hormone hypothesis: The effect size of the interaction between testosterone and cortisol on status-relevant behavior was significant but very small (r = -.061, p =.026), which was corroborated by follow-up meta-analyses on simple slopes on low and high cortisol. Effect sizes were largest for direct status measures, although not significantly different from other outcome measures. Similarly, effect sizes seemed larger for men than for women. However, robustness analyses indicated signs of publication bias, enhanced significance due to potential flexibility in data-analysis, and a lack of power of individual studies, emphasizing the need for a large, pre-registered study.",

keywords = "Aggression, Cortisol, Dual-hormone, Interaction, Meta-analysis, Simple slopes, Status-relevant behavior, Testosterone",

author = "Dekkers, {Tycho J.} and {van Rentergem}, {Joost A. Agelink} and Bren Meijer and Arne Popma and Eline Wagemaker and Huizenga, {Hilde M.}",

year = "2019",

month = "1",

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.004",

language = "English",

volume = "96",

pages = "250--271",

journal = "Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews",

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publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

}

Dekkers, TJ, van Rentergem, JAA, Meijer, B, Popma, A, Wagemaker, E & Huizenga, HM 2019, 'A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy?' Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 96, pp. 250-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.004

A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy? / Dekkers, Tycho J.; van Rentergem, Joost A. Agelink; Meijer, Bren; Popma, Arne; Wagemaker, Eline; Huizenga, Hilde M.

In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Vol. 96, 01.01.2019, p. 250-271.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › Academic › peer-review