A new study from Vilnius University’s Life Sciences Center, published in the international journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, reveals that the interaction between two hormones – testosterone and cortisol – may shape how we perceive stressful situations. This helps explain why some people remain calm, while others experience intense tension when faced with stress.
Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands in response to stress. It also plays a role in processing emotions and in recovery after stress. Testosterone is most often associated with the male reproductive system, but it also influences behavior, being linked to status-seeking, competitiveness, and dominance.
The so-called dual-hormone hypothesis often explains the interaction between testosterone and cortisol. It suggests that high testosterone levels promote behavior aimed at gaining or maintaining social status – but usually only when cortisol levels are low.
The researchers asked whether this balance determines our reaction to social stress – for example, when we are evaluated or criticized. One assumption is that with high testosterone and low cortisol, a stressful situation may be perceived as a challenge rather than a threat, and therefore experienced as less stressful. What makes this study stand out is that, unlike most earlier work examining physiological or behavioral responses, it focused not on individual hormones but on their interaction, with particular attention to the subjective experience of stress.
It is important to remember that overcoming social stress is often more difficult than coping with physical stress. Our bodies are well-prepared to react to, say, a bear by running away, but modern stressors are subtler and more complex to predict. Since social stress is likely to increase, it is crucial to understand what shapes our responses to it.
The study involved 40 young men subjected to mild social stress in a laboratory setting. While performing neutral computer tasks, they were unexpectedly told that in 90 seconds they would have to sing the Lithuanian national anthem, and that their performance would be recorded and evaluated. In reality, they did not have to sing – but the preparation alone caused stress. Participants rated their perceived stress, and saliva samples were taken to measure testosterone and cortisol levels before and after the task.
The results showed that cortisol reduced stress in men with low testosterone, but had no effect in men with high testosterone. Meanwhile, testosterone reduced stress only when cortisol levels were low. This suggests that men with high testosterone and low cortisol perceived the stressful situation as a challenge rather than a threat, and therefore felt less stressed.
The study involved only men and examined only testosterone, so in future research, the scientists plan to include women and to investigate other sex hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone.
The long-term goal of the researchers is to understand how stress and sex hormones interact in various social and emotional situations, how they influence emotional experiences, the ability and willingness to regulate emotions, and how these processes are reflected in behavior.
Authors of the study: Erik Ilkevič, Eglė Jašinskaitė, Rimantė Gaižauskaitė, Ramunė Grikšienė. Link to the publication
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| The research team with an assistant | Photo by E. Ikevičius |