When a woman or man wins a bet, when their team wins a football game, they experience a surge in testosterone (not only a male hormone) and a spurt of happiness. What does this tell us about our evolutionary psychology?
Animal Behavior and the Home-Turf Advantage
Territorial species provide good insight into the behavioral and psychological impacts of testosterone. During the breeding season, testosterone levels increase. Some male birds establish a breeding territory from which they repel other males; some female birds are also territorial.
When the bird is on its home turf, it evidently feels more confident and is more likely to win a contest with another male there than on another bird's territory. In human sporting competitions, there is also a home-turf advantage, which is complemented by fan support.
The parallels do not end there. When a bird wins a territorial contest, its testosterone rises, and that likely boosts its confidence level. Conversely, the testosterone level of the loser falls, possibly motivating it to stay away. A similar pattern is observed in human testosterone levels as a function of sports wins and losses.
Research on Sports Success
In soccer matches, testosterone rises in female winners and falls in the losers. Similar........