On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Thomas Seay wrote:
>
> --- Kelley <kwalker2 at gte.net> wrote:
> >
> > i think yoshie has some pretty convincing evidence
> > that this testosterone
> > stuff is largely a myth.
> >
> > kelley
> >
>
> I, for one, would like to see the damning evidence
> against this "testosterone stuff". No "National
> Enquirer" articles or articles from liberal arts
> majors who would like to get rid of hormones and
> neurochemistry just because they interfere with their
> worldview, please.
>
There's this little problem of inferring cause and effect from correlational research. Even if I find that testost. levels are positively associated with aggression levels (e.g., violent criminals have higher testost. levels), I have not provided clear scientific evidence that testosterone causes anything.
For instance, testosterone levels can be an effect of aggressive or sexual behavior, not a cause of it (this is well documented in experimental research). Moreover, numerous other social, psychological, and biological factors could increase testosterone levels and also increase aggression or any particular behavior.
This whole question is well researched by physiological psychologists, but the causal relations appear convoluted. Few researchers advocate a simple model where increases in a single hormone (e.g., testosterone) trigger a specific behavior in humans.
To assert that testosterone must influence behavior X because people who do behavior X have high testosterone levels is sloppy scientific reasoning, at best. At worst, assuming that testosterone has an all-powerful effect on behavior is willful and irrational faith in the biological determinist worldview. I'll be gracious to Thomas and assume it's the former and not the latter in his case.
Miles