Does Testosterone Make People Greedy?

October 2, 2014


The Atlantic | Joe Pinsker

Dave Mayer–the Center’s Faculty Co-Director–quoted on the link between testosterone and high levels of greedy behavior:

“From the Lausanne study, it’s not clear whether testosterone levels control corrupt behavior, or whether high levels of it are linked to the presence of some other physiological feature that does. But even if it were definitively the case that testosterone is the root of greed, some are skeptical that anything can be done with that information.

“David Mayer, a management professor at the University of Michigan, points out that this research is similar, in spirit, to fMRI studies indicating which parts of the brain light up when a certain decision is made. But establishing these physiological underpinnings does little to solve the problem of antisocial behavior. ‘I wonder how these findings can be used to help leaders be more ethical,’ he says.”