WE’VE ALL HEARD the stereotype about sports cars: sure, they’re fun to drive, but their main function is to help men show off to women. Researchers have now confirmed that men’s bodies seem to agree. More than 30 heterosexual men were asked to drive two cars: a 2006 Porsche 911 from an exotic car dealer, and a 1990 Toyota Camry wagon with over 186,000 miles. Testosterone levels – as measured in saliva samples – rose significantly after men drove the former, but not the latter.
Saad, G. & Vongas, J., “The Effect of Conspicuous Consumption on Men’s Testosterone Levels,??? Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (forthcoming).
