The dual-hormone hypothesis: a brief review and future research agenda

• This paper reviews evidence for the dual-hormone hypothesis.
• Testosterone's association with status-relevant behavior depends on cortisol.
• Behaviors include dominance, aggression, status, and economic decisions.
• Future studies should identify mechanisms and moderators.
• Interventions can be designed based on this dual-hormone model.

The dual-hormone hypothesis posits that testosterone's role in status-relevant behavior should depend on concentrations of cortisol, a hormone released in response to physical and psychological stress. This paper (i) reviews evidence for the dual-hormone hypothesis on measures of dominance, aggression, social status, risk-taking, and economic decision-making; (ii) discusses contextual and individual difference moderators of dual-hormone associations with behavior; and (iii) outlines key directions for future research. Together, this review points to promising support for the dual-hormone hypothesis across multiple behavioral domains relevant to the pursuit and maintenance of social status.