Narcissism moderates the association between basal testosterone and generosity in men

Abstract

Research has linked hormones to behavioral outcomes in intricate ways, often moderated by psychological dispositions. The associations between testosterone and antisocial or prosocial outcomes also depend on dispositions relevant to status and dominance. In two studies (N1 = 68, N2 = 83), we investigated whether endogenous testosterone, measured in saliva, and narcissism, a psychological variable highly relevant to status motivation, interactively predicted men's preferences regarding resource allocation. Narcissism moderated the links between testosterone and social value orientation: among low narcissists testosterone negatively predicted generosity in resource allocation and probability of endorsing a prosocial (vs. pro-self) value orientation, whereas among high narcissists testosterone tended to positively predict generosity and the probability of endorsing a prosocial (vs. pro-self) value orientation. We discuss these results as examples of calibrating effects of testosterone on human behavior, serving to increase and maintain social status. We advocate the relevance of psychological dispositions, alongside situations, when examining the role of T in social outcomes.