Question

Aggression has been linked to the hormone __________, which elevates during stressful situations, and the hormone __________, which lowers.
A.
testosterone . . . serotonin
B.
serotonin . . . dopamine
C.
testosterone . . . dopamine
D.
serotonin . . . testosterone

Answer 1

Hi there! The correct answer is a) testosterone & serotonin.

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    What is each hormone & neurotransmitter responsible for?

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• Testosterone is the male sex hormone that is categorized as an anabolic steroid. With a heightened (normal) level of serotonin, males would experience pubescent effects - hair growth, development and regulation of a libido (sex drive), and increases your muscle mass.

• Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is linked to mood and cognition (thinking). If you have a surplus of serotonin, you're usually happy, cheerful, and optimistic. If you have a deficit of serotonin, however, this can lead to gloominess, negative thoughts, and you would not be as interested in your hobbies or extracurricular activities.

• Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is linked to pleasure (eating your favorite food, hearing your favorite song, or taking a nice, hot bath after a long school day). It is also linked to some vital functions - blood pressure, sleep, and the processing of pain. Consequently, if you have a normal measure of dopamine, your body would be homeostatic - normal heart rate & blood pressure, no injuries to cause pain, and your sleep would be normal (going to bed at a decent hour and waking up at a relative time). But, if your dopamine levels are high, you can actually experience both positive and/or negative effects - heightened anxiety levels, increased energy, and difficulty sleeping. If your dopamine levels were to be low, you can experience muscle cramps, depression, or chronic fatigue.

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               How do our findings apply to the question?

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• Serotonin cannot be linked to aggression because deficits of this hormone would be linked to depression or negative thoughts, but it doesn't ultimately lead to aggression. Therefore, we know that testosterone is the hormone linked to aggression, eliminating options B and D.

• Because heightened levels of dopamine are associated with heightened anxiety levels (a.k.a. a stressful experience), this most likely would not suffice the requirements of the question. Therefore, this would eliminate option C.

• However, because serotonin can have lower levels and these are associated with depressive thoughts, this would be a better fit. When a person is stressed, they are usually focused on what is stressing them out and steering away from what makes them happier and what they are interested in doing. Therefore, serotonin would most likely be depleted, which leaves us with option A.

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              What can we conclude with this information?

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Using our findings, we can finally come to the conclusion that:

1. Testosterone is linked to aggression and would elevate in stressful scenarios.
2. Serotonin would be depleted during stressful situations.