Hanging out with hot women makes men feel better about themselves than they do when they hang around other men, researchers have found. Just being around a babe boosts men’s levels of testosterone and cortisol, hormones that improve alertness and well-being. In tests, just five minutes in the presence of a pretty girl boosted testosterone 14 percent and cortisone, an anti-stress hormone, by 48 percent.
Around other men, though, the hormones dipped—suggesting men could be better off having a quick chat with a pretty female pal than hanging out with the boys.
Researchers at the University of California, whose findings are published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, recruited 149 male students between the ages of 18 and 24. For five minutes, a third talked to a 25-year-old male researcher and the rest chatted to one of seven young female undergrads aged 18 to 22.
The men rated how attractive they’d found the women (the average was 5.83 on the good looks scale, suggesting the group was relatively easy on the eye). Then they provided a saliva sample that was tested within 20 to 40 minutes.
The five-minute chat with a beautiful woman spiked testosterone by 14 percent and cortisol by 48 percent. The same length chat with a man saw the hormones dip by 2 percent and seven percent, respectively.
Psychologists found that just a five-minute talk with an attractive woman raised the levels of testosterone by 14 percent and the anti-stress hormone cortisol by 48 percent. Spending the same time with men saw the hormones drop two per cent and seven per cent respectively.
Dr. Leslie Knapp, a biological anthropologist at the University of Cambridge, told the UK’s The Telegraph that the response was evolutionary and had to do with finding and competing for possible mates.
“High levels of testosterone are associated with boosting sexual performance whereas cortisol helps focus your energy and helps you deal with anxiety,” she said. “It all boils down to sex.”
Typical.
By Courtney Rubin for Tonic, the “good news“ site
