Abstract
Previous research has implicated the involvement of androgens in sex-role orientation in males, from studies of 2 nd to 4 th digit ratio (a purported marker of prenatal testosterone). The present pilot study investigates the relationship between salivary testosterone levels and sex-role orientation using Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) scores in adult males. Twenty-one males (aged 18 - 24) completed the BSRI and provided saliva samples for assay. BSRI Femininity scores were significantly negatively correlated with testosterone levels; the higher the Femininity scores, the lower the testosterone levels. There was no relation of BSRI Masculinity scores with testosterone levels. Our preliminary results add to the research suggesting that sex-role orientation in males may be partially related to underlying hormone levels.
Highlights
The aim of the present pilot study was to explore the relationship between salivary testosterone levels and sex role identity in typically developed adult males, as measured with the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; [1])
Testosterone levels were significantly negatively correlated with BSRI femininity scores (r = −0.415, n = 21, p = 0.031) see Figure 1
There was no significant correlation between testosterone levels and BSRI masculinity scores (r = 0.096, n = 21, p = 0.340)
Summary
The aim of the present pilot study was to explore the relationship between salivary testosterone levels and sex role identity in typically developed adult males, as measured with the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; [1]). Females with a low 2nd to 4th digit ratio (a purported marker of high prenatal testosterone levels) have been found to show masculinised bias scores in the BSRI [4]. These findings in typically developed females parallel the findings in clinical studies on females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a condition caused by a deficiency in the enzymes necessary for steroidogenesis within the adrenal glands, resulting in a hypersecretion of adrenal androgens. In addition to physical masculinisation, females with CAH have been shown to demonstrate less interest in infants, less interest in female-typical toys (e.g. dolls) and female playmates, more interest in male-typical toys and male playmates, score lower on measures of nurturant tendencies, and show a masculine bias on a variety of personality inventories compared with control females (see [5] for review)
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