Testosterone would push men to prefer luxury products

According to a study published in Nature Communications, men's testosterone levels would influence their taste for expensive or prestigious products. This effect is related to the behavior of animals, like the peabad that makes the wheel

Testosterone, the male bad hormone, would increase the inclination of men for brands and products perceived as prestigious, according to a published study Tuesday in Nature Communications.

"We demonstrate for the first time that testosterone directly modifies consumer preferences" explains to AFP Gideon Nave of the Wharton School, an American business school in Philadelphia, co-author of the study. 19659004] Researchers tested 243 men aged 18 to 55 years. Half of them had previously received one dose of testosterone, the others a placebo.

The participants were then faced with duets of products of equivalent quality but of different brands. "The prestige level of each brand was previously measured by an independent survey of a sample of more than 600 men" the researcher said.

A strategy to report his rank within the society

The researchers found that "men who had received testosterone doses showed a greater preference for products badociated with a higher social status (such as a luxury brand)" according to a release from the European Institute of Business Administration (Insead). But no penchant has been found for products badimilated to power.

For Gideon Nave, "possessing prestigious products is a strategy for signaling one's rank within human society" . The researcher parallels the tail of the peabad or the antlers. "This effect (testosterone, Ed) is related to the behavior of animals, in which testosterone generally increases during the breeding season and promotes the sending of signals to potential partners or competitors" notes the researcher

According to the team, more studies need to be conducted before generalizing these initial results, cultural differences being able to modify behavior.