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Social network centrality and hormones: The interaction of testosterone and cortisol

Ponzi, D; Zilioli, S; Mehta, PH; Maslov, A; Watson, NV; (2016) Social network centrality and hormones: The interaction of testosterone and cortisol. Psychoneuroendocrinology , 68 pp. 6-13. 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.02.014. Green open access

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Abstract

In this study we tested whether testosterone and cortisol interacted in predicting social network centrality within a male rugby team. Using social network analysis (SNA), three measures of centrality were investigated: popularity (i.e., the number of incoming ties a participant receives), gregariousness (i.e., the number of ties leaving from a participant and reaching out to others), and betweenness (i.e., the number of times a person lies between two other individuals). In line with the idea that testosterone and cortisol jointly regulate the emergence of social status, we found that individuals with high basal testosterone and low basal cortisol were more popular and more likely to act as connectors among other individuals (i.e., betweenness). The same hormonal profile was not predictive of gregariousness. However, in line with the small literature on the topic, we found that cortisol was inversely correlated with gregariousness. Despite the cross-sectional and correlational nature of our research design, these findings represent the first empirical evidence that testosterone and cortisol interact to predict complex measures of social hierarchy position derived from social network analyses.

Type: Article
Title: Social network centrality and hormones: The interaction of testosterone and cortisol
Location: England
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.02.014
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.02.014
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Centrality, Cortisol, Social network analyses, Social status, Testosterone, Adult, Cross-Sectional Studies, Football, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Saliva, Social Behavior, Social Dominance, Social Support, Testosterone
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Experimental Psychology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10040154
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