Importance of Considering Testosterone-Cortisol Interactions in Predicting Human Aggression and Dominance

A novel field study recently published in Aggressive Behavior found that individual differences in baseline testosterone concentrations were positively correlated with endorsement of political aggression and that baseline cortisol concentrations were negatively correlated with self-reported aggression among Palestinian boys living in Gaza. Here, we discuss recent evidence indicating that testosterone and cortisol interact to predict competitive, aggressive, and dominant behaviors and urge researchers collecting both hormones to perform and report analyses that formally test for such interaction effects. Aggr. Behav. 37:489-491, 2011. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.