Many believe that testosterone levels can shape a person’s life and success.
Some studies suggest that men with higher testosterone achieve more in their careers.
However, there is a difference between correlation and causation. New research using DNA shows that testosterone has less impact on life opportunities than previously thought, according to Videnskab.
Earlier studies found that male leaders with higher testosterone had more subordinates. Stock traders with higher levels earned bigger daily profits.
Researchers also noticed that men with more education or those who ran their own businesses tended to have higher testosterone.
This suggested a link between testosterone and entrepreneurship.
Testosterone is believed to influence behavior. Experiments show that it can make people more aggressive and willing to take risks.
These traits can be beneficial in the workplace, such as during salary negotiations.
However, no study has definitively proven that testosterone directly causes these outcomes. Other explanations are possible.
Instead of testosterone affecting a person’s socioeconomic position, the opposite may be true.
A better financial position might lead to higher testosterone. Stress is one factor. Living in difficult conditions causes chronic stress, which can lower testosterone levels.
Social status may also play a role. Studies of sports competitions show that winners often experience an increase in testosterone compared to losers.
Another possible explanation is that good health influences both testosterone levels and career success.
Men with higher testosterone tend to be healthier, and good health can improve job performance.
For women, higher testosterone is linked to poorer health, which may explain why it is associated with lower socioeconomic status.
To separate cause from effect, researchers used a method called Mendelian randomization.
This technique uses genetic data to isolate the impact of testosterone on income and education. The study analyzed over 300,000 people from the UK Biobank.
Findings showed that men with higher testosterone had higher household incomes and were more likely to have university degrees.
Women with higher levels tended to earn less and have lower education. However, genetic data did not show any direct effect of testosterone on socioeconomic status.
This suggests that previous studies may have been influenced by other factors, such as health or stress. The idea that testosterone alone drives success is likely overstated.
