Testosterone, Physical Aggression, Dominance,

and Physical Development in Early Adolescence

Abstract

The associations among testosterone, physical development, social dominance, and

antisocial behaviour during early adolescence were assessed in a sample of boys
followed from 6 to 13 years. Saliva testosterone level was positively correlated
with height, and uncorrelated with measures of fatness, including the body mass
index. Physical aggression and social dominance were not significantly correlated.
Regression analyses revealed that testosterone level and body mass additively
predicted social dominance, whereas only body mass predicted physical
aggression. Thus, early adolescents with high levels of testosterone were more
likely to be socially dominant, especially if they had a large body mass. Those who
had a large body mass were more likely to be physically aggressive, independently
of their testosterone level. The observed pattern of correlations between
testosterone, body mass, dominance, and physical aggression offers an interesting
example of the complex hormone-physique-behaviour relations at puberty. They
support the hypothesis that testosterone level and social dominance are related, and
that the association between testosterone level and physical aggression is probably
observed in contexts where physical aggression leads to social dominance.

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