Abstract: Intergroup competitions such as democratic elections can intensify intergroup polarization and conflict. Partisan attitudes toward the elected leader can also shift following an election, but the biology underlying these attitudinal shifts remains unknown. An important factor could be the hormone testosterone, which is theorized to fluctuate during competition and to influence status-seeking. In a longitudinal study of 113 voters conducted during the 2012 US presidential election, supporters of the losing candidate experienced acute increases in testosterone levels on the evening of the election and flatter diurnal testosterone slopes up to two days after the election, compared to supporters of the winner. Furthermore, these competition-related changes in testosterone concentrations among supporters of the losing candidate were associated with less positive evaluations of the winning candidate. These findings suggest that hormonal responses to an intergroup competition may shape how we perceive elected leaders, shedding light on the biology of intergroup relations.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
2012 US presidential election: Losing candidate's supporters experienced acute increases in testosterone levels on the evening of the election & flatter diurnal testosterone slopes up to 2 days after the election
Prasad, Smrithi, Erik L. Knight, Amar Sarkar, Keith M. Welker, Bethany Lassetter, and Pranjal Mehta. 2020. “Testosterone Fluctuations in Response to a Democratic Election Predict Partisan Attitudes Toward the Elected Leader.” PsyArXiv. May 6. doi:10.31234/osf.io/w6rz9
Abstract: Intergroup competitions such as democratic elections can intensify intergroup polarization and conflict. Partisan attitudes toward the elected leader can also shift following an election, but the biology underlying these attitudinal shifts remains unknown. An important factor could be the hormone testosterone, which is theorized to fluctuate during competition and to influence status-seeking. In a longitudinal study of 113 voters conducted during the 2012 US presidential election, supporters of the losing candidate experienced acute increases in testosterone levels on the evening of the election and flatter diurnal testosterone slopes up to two days after the election, compared to supporters of the winner. Furthermore, these competition-related changes in testosterone concentrations among supporters of the losing candidate were associated with less positive evaluations of the winning candidate. These findings suggest that hormonal responses to an intergroup competition may shape how we perceive elected leaders, shedding light on the biology of intergroup relations.
Abstract: Intergroup competitions such as democratic elections can intensify intergroup polarization and conflict. Partisan attitudes toward the elected leader can also shift following an election, but the biology underlying these attitudinal shifts remains unknown. An important factor could be the hormone testosterone, which is theorized to fluctuate during competition and to influence status-seeking. In a longitudinal study of 113 voters conducted during the 2012 US presidential election, supporters of the losing candidate experienced acute increases in testosterone levels on the evening of the election and flatter diurnal testosterone slopes up to two days after the election, compared to supporters of the winner. Furthermore, these competition-related changes in testosterone concentrations among supporters of the losing candidate were associated with less positive evaluations of the winning candidate. These findings suggest that hormonal responses to an intergroup competition may shape how we perceive elected leaders, shedding light on the biology of intergroup relations.
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