Going on stage: Testosterone in greetings and meetings

This research explored the relation of endogenous tesrosterone levels to behavior in brief social encounters. In four studies, 358 college students whose testosterone levels were known entered a room and (1) stood and spoke to a video camera, (2) stood and talked with an experimenter. (3) sat and talked with an interviewer, or (4) sat and talked with a peer. High-testosterone students entered more quickly, focused more directly on their targets, and displayed a more forward and independent manner. Results were similar for men and women. Correlates of testosterone are visible in thin slices of everyday behavior lasting only a few seconds. The effect of this behavior on a social interaction partner remains to be determined. (C) 2001 Academic Press.