Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-lrf7s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-26T04:53:13.606Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

In utero testosterone exposure influences physiological responses to dyadic interactions in neurotypical adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2016

Anna Truzzi ,
Vincenzo Paolo Senese ,
Peipei Setoh ,
Cristian Ripoli  and
Gianluca Esposito Open the ORCID record for Gianluca Esposito [Opens in a new window]
Anna Truzzi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy
Vincenzo Paolo Senese
Affiliation:
Psychometric Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
Peipei Setoh
Affiliation:
Division of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Cristian Ripoli
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Physiology, Università Cattolica, Rome, Italy
Gianluca Esposito*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy Division of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
*
Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Corso Bettini, 31 I-38068 Rovereto (TN)-Italy. Tel: +39 0464 80 8643; Fax: +39 0464 80 8602; E-mail: gianluca.esposito@unitn.it
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

We investigated how different levels of prenatal exposure to testosterone influence physiological reactions to dyadic interactions, hypothesising that higher levels of prenatal testosterone are linked to greater physiological responses.

Method

Autonomic nervous system responses to dyadic interactions focussed on social or physical norms were measured. Physiological assessment of excitability (heart rate, facial temperature) and a behavioural assessment (Likert items judgements) were run on 25 neurotypical participants who had distinct testosterone exposure levels in utero. In utero exposure to testosterone was assessed measuring 2D : 4D (ratio between the lengths of the index and the ring fingers).

Results

Higher testosterone exposure participants showed greater physiological arousal: a greater heart rate decrease, independent from scenario type (p<0.05), and opposite facial temperature changes in response to social (increase) (vs.) physical scenarios (decrease) were found (Left-cheek: p<0.05; Right-cheek: p<0.05).

Conclusion

These findings suggest a long-term influence of prenatal environment on adults’ physiological responses during social situations.

Keywords

interpersonal relationsphysiologyprenatal exposure delayed effectstestosterone
Type
Short Communication
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , October 2016 , pp. 304 - 309
Copyright
© Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Auyeung, B, Lombardo, MV, Baron-Cohen, S. Prenatal and postnatal hormone effects on the human brain and cognition. Pflügers Archiv 2013;465:557–571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Hermans, EJ, Putman, P, van Honk, J. Testosterone administration reduces empathetic behavior: a facial mimicry study. Psychoneuroendocrinolo 2006;31:859–866.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3. Batrinos, ML. Testosterone and aggressive behavior in man. Int J Endocrinol Metab 2012;10:563–568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Zheng, Z, Chon, MJ. Developmental basis of sexually dimorphic digit ratios. PNAS 2011;208:16289–16294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Chapman, E, Baron-Cohen, S, Auyeung, B. Fetal testosterone and empathy: evidence from the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and the ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ test. Soc Neurosci 2006;1:135–248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Eisenegger, C, Naef, M, Snozzi, R, Heinrichs, M, Fher, E. New evidence on testosterone and cooperation. Nature 2010;463:356–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Joyce, CW, Kelly, JC, Chan, JC et al. Second to forth digit ratio confirms aggressive tendencies in patients with boxers fractures. Injury 2013;44:1636–1639.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Knickmeyer, R, Baron-Cohen, S, Raggatt, P, Taylor, K, Hackett, G. Fetal testosterone and empathy. Horm Behav 2006;46:282–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Tamiya, R, Lee, SY, Ohtake, F. Second to fourth digit ratio and the sporting success of sumo wrestlers. Evol Hum Behav 2012;33:130–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Van Honk, J, Schutter, DJ, Bos, PA, Kruijt, A, Lentjes, EG, Baron-Cohen, S. Testosterone administration impairs cognitive empathy in women depending on second-to-fourth digit ratio. PNAS 2011;108:3448–3452.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Auyeung, B, Baron-Cohen, S, Chapman, E, Knickmeyer, R, Taylor, K, Hackett, G. Foetal testosterone and the child systemizing quotient. Eur J Endocrinol 2006;155:123–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12. Bradley, MM. Natural selective attention: orienting and emotion. Psychophysiology 2009;46:1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Berntson, GG, Bigger, JT, Eckberg, DL et al. Heart rate variability: origins, methods and interpretative caveats. Psychophysiology 1997;34:623–648.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Appelhans, BM, Luecken, LJ. Heart rate variability as an index of regulated emotional responding. Rev Gen Psychol 2006;10:229–240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Salazar-López, E, Domínguez, E, Juárez-Ramon, V et al. The mental and subjective skin: emotion, empathy, feelings and thermography. Conscious Cogn 2015;34:149–162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Rimm-Kaufman, SE, Kagan, J. The psychological significance of changes in skin temperature. Motiv Emotion 1996;20:63–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17. Fox, J. Applied regression analysis, linear models, and related methods. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications, 1997.Google Scholar
18. Willis, ML, Dodd, HF, Palermo, R. The relationship between anxiety and the social judgements of approachability and thrustworthiness. PLoS One 2013;8:e76825.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19. Willis, ML, Windsor, NA, Lawson, DL, Ridley, NJ. Situational context and perceived threat modulate approachability judgements to emotional faces. PLoS One 2015;10:e0131472. CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Truzzi supplementary material

Truzzi supplementary material 1

Download Truzzi supplementary material(File)
File 38.9 KB