Moral Decisions and Testosterone: When the Ends Justify the
Means Behavioral endocrinology research suggests that
testosterone may play a role in moral decision making. Studies
involving human and nonhuman animals indicate that high basal
testosterone is associated with decreased aversion to risk and
an increased threshold for conflict, fear, stress, and threat.
We tested the role of testosterone in moral decision making. We
predicted and found that individuals high in testosterone are
more likely to make utilitarian decisions—specifically when
doing so involves acts of aggression and social cost. The PDF
above is a preprint version of the article. The final version
may be found at < http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2010.02.003
>. Source: Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology Carney,
Dana, and Malia Mason. "Moral Decisions and Testosterone: When
the Ends Justify the Means." Journal of Experimental and Social
Psychology 46, no. 4 (July 2010): 668-671. Date: 7 2010