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WASHINGTON-A new study has shown that testosterone, a male hormone, has a measurable effect on a man's preference for luxury brands that are considered status symbols.
The study published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed that a man with a higher level of testosterone in his body will be more likely than a man with lower testosterone levels to prefer a pair of Calvin Klein jeans on a pair of Levi's.
According to Colin Camerer, a professor of behavioral economics from Caltech, co-author of the study, one of the main functions of testosterone is to generate both research behaviors of status and protection of the state
"In the animal kingdom, testosterone promotes aggression, but aggression is at the service of status," says Camerer. "Many human behaviors are redirected behaviors in our primate parents. So here we are replacing the physical aggression with some kind of consumer aggression. "The study has reached the biological heart of what we call ostentatious consumption, the human practice of acquiring and showing luxury goods and services to enhance one's social status. Camerer compared the costs of this behavior to the cost and weight of the elaborate tails worn by male peacocks
"If he did not need to attract mates, a peacock would be better off Without his tail, it would be easier for the peacock to escape the predators and easier for him to find food if he did not carry that tail, "said Camerer
L & # 39; study included 243 male volunteers aged 18 to 55 who were randomly selected to receive a dose of testosterone gel or placebo gel that would absorb through their skin.They were sent home and asked to return to the laboratory about four hours later, when testosterone levels in their blood would be almost at their maximum.
Upon their return, they participated in tasks aimed at assessing their preferences for different types of goods.] The first task presented participants with a 10-point scale that had a mark associated with high social status at one end and a mark with lower social status, but otherwise equivalent quality at the other end. They were asked to move a slider towards the mark that they preferred with the slider's proximity to the mark indicating their strong preference. The data collected by the researchers during this task showed that men who received a dose of testosterone had a greater preference for luxury brands than men who received the placebo.
The second task was to unravel the effect of testosterone on the desire to obtain a luxury good from other potential effects, such as an increased desire for high quality goods or of goods evoking a sense of power.
Study participants presented a series of advertisements for consumer goods, a pair of sunglasses, or a coffee machine. Participants were randomly presented with one of three versions of an advertisement for each article, each version of the announcement focusing on the quality, luxury or power of l & # 39; object. After reviewing the announcement, they were asked to rate their attitude toward this item on a scale of 1 to 10.
Data from this task showed that men who received a dose of testosterone preferred luxury to men. received the placebo. There was no corresponding increase in preference for goods that were advertised as powerful or of superior quality.
"In the closest animals, males spend a lot of time struggling to establish their dominance. We do it too, but our weapons are what we wear, drive and live rather than claws, fists and muscles, "said Cameron Camerer
The results are the first to demonstrate that testosterone causally influences consumer preferences. and the effect is motivated by the aspiration of consumers to acquire a status rather than by power or a general inclination for high quality goods.
The findings may be useful for generating new hypotheses regarding contexts where positional consumption (status) broad implication for luxury brands and policy makers.
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