Here's a new study on the impact of testosterone (T). In a placebo-controlled experiment of 243 men, giving a dose of T increases preference for status brands over brands of similar perceived quality but lower status. T also makes men have more positive attitudes toward high-status goods, but does not affect how they feel about power-enhancing or high-quality goods.
Interesting how T makes us like status, not power. I guess the difference is that power is not necessarily socially-approved, but status is.
This study did not include women, but it appears that T makes men more concerned with rising in the social hierarchy, and we signal our position through status goods. This has gotten to be a more subtle game as elites have embraced the t-shirts and shabby jeans of the working man, but our nature cannot escape hierarchy.
Showing posts with label Status. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Status. Show all posts
Thursday, July 05, 2018
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