Abstract
Lying is a pervasive phenomenon with important social and economic implications. However, despite substantial interest in the prevalence and determinants of lying, little is known about its biological foundations. Here we study a potential hormonal influence, focusing on the steroid hormone testosterone, which has been shown to play an important role in social behavior. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, 91 healthy men (24.32 ± 2.73 years) received a transdermal administration of 50 mg of testosterone (n = 46) or a placebo (n = 45). Subsequently, subjects participated in a simple task, in which their payoff depended on the self-reported outcome of a die-roll. Subjects could increase their payoff by lying without fear of being caught. Our results show that testosterone administration substantially decreases lying in men. Self-serving lying occurred in both groups, however, reported payoffs were significantly lower in the testosterone group (p < 0.01). Our results contribute to the recent debate on the effect of testosterone on prosocial behavior and its underlying channels.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e46774 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | PLOS ONE |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 10 Oct 2012 |