Psychosomatic Medicine 8:320-331 (1946)
© 1946 American Psychosomatic Society

Hormonal Modification of Social Behavior

II. The Effects of Sex-Hormone Administration on the Social Dominance Status of the Female-Castrate Chimpanzee

¹ Yerkes Laboratories of Primate Biology, Orange Park, Fla., and School of Medicine, Yale University

The effects of the administration of methyltestosterone and alpha-estradiol on the dominance-subordination relations of three adult female-castrate chimpanzees was studied in a food competition situation. The results were as follows:

Female chimpanzee dominance status was reliably enhanced by raising the estrogen level.

Female chimpanzee dominance status was reliably raised by the administration of androgen.

The improvement in dominance status with the administration of female sex-hormone to the female-castrate does not appear to be based on "granting of privilege," but to be a true increase in dominance tendency.

Rise in dominance status induced by estrogen administration paralleled the course of the sexualswelling, and disappeared with detumescence.

Improvements in dominance status achieved under androgen therapy bear no relation to sexual swelling (since none occurs), and appear to be more persistent than changes produced by estrogen administration.

These results for the female-castrate chimpanzee were discussed in connection with data on estrogen and androgen effects on the dominance behavior of male-castrate chimpanzees, and an attempt was made at a critical analysis and re-synthesis of the available evidence on the relation of sexuality to dominance-subordination behavior in mammals.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Neurochemical, Endocrine, Pharmacological, and Genetic Studies Arch Neurol, January 1, 1974; 30(1): 8 - 23. [Abstract] [PDF]