The Steroid/Peptide Theory of Social Bonds: integrating testosterone and peptide responses for classifying social behavioral contexts - PubMed (original) (raw)
Review
. 2011 Oct;36(9):1265-75.
doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.06.001. Epub 2011 Jul 2.
Affiliations
- PMID: 21724336
- DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.06.001
Review
The Steroid/Peptide Theory of Social Bonds: integrating testosterone and peptide responses for classifying social behavioral contexts
Sari M van Anders et al. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2011 Oct.
Abstract
Hormones, and hormone responses to social contexts, are the proximate mechanisms of evolutionary pathways to pair bonds and other social bonds. Testosterone (T) is implicated in tradeoffs relevant to pair bonding, and oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are positively tied to social bonding in a variety of species. Here, we present the Steroid/Peptide Theory of Social Bonds (S/P Theory), which integrates T and peptides to provide a model, set of predictions, and classification system for social behavioral contexts related to social bonds. The S/P Theory also resolves several paradoxes apparent in the literature on social bonds and hormones: the Offspring Defense Paradox, Aggression Paradox, and Intimacy Paradox. In the S/P Theory, we partition aggression into antagonistic and protective aggression, which both increase T but exert distinct effects on AVP and thus social bonds. Similarly, we partition intimacy into sexual and nurturant intimacy, both of which increase OT and facilitate social bonds, but exert distinct effects on T. We describe the utility of the S/P Theory for classifying 'tricky' behavioral contexts on the basis of their hormonal responses using partner cuddling, a behavior which is assumed to be nurturant but increases T, as a test case of the S/P Theory. The S/P Theory provides a comparative basis for conceptualizing and testing evolved hormonal pathways to pair bonds with attention to species, context, and gender/sex specificities and convergences.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Comment in
- Nonapeptides are not just for bonding: a response to van Anders et al. (2011).
Goodson JL. Goodson JL. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012 Mar;37(3):444-5; author reply 445. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.12.011. Epub 2011 Dec 30. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012. PMID: 22208998 No abstract available.
Similar articles
- Nonapeptides are not just for bonding: a response to van Anders et al. (2011).
Goodson JL. Goodson JL. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012 Mar;37(3):444-5; author reply 445. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.12.011. Epub 2011 Dec 30. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012. PMID: 22208998 No abstract available. - Baby cries and nurturance affect testosterone in men.
van Anders SM, Tolman RM, Volling BL. van Anders SM, et al. Horm Behav. 2012 Jan;61(1):31-6. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.09.012. Epub 2011 Oct 1. Horm Behav. 2012. PMID: 22001872 - Interplay of oxytocin, vasopressin, and sex hormones in the regulation of social recognition.
Gabor CS, Phan A, Clipperton-Allen AE, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Gabor CS, et al. Behav Neurosci. 2012 Feb;126(1):97-109. doi: 10.1037/a0026464. Epub 2011 Dec 5. Behav Neurosci. 2012. PMID: 22141469 Review. - Descriptive experiences and sexual vs. nurturant aspects of cuddling between adult romantic partners.
van Anders SM, Edelstein RS, Wade RM, Samples-Steele CR. van Anders SM, et al. Arch Sex Behav. 2013 May;42(4):553-60. doi: 10.1007/s10508-012-0014-8. Epub 2012 Oct 16. Arch Sex Behav. 2013. PMID: 23070529 - Beyond masculinity: testosterone, gender/sex, and human social behavior in a comparative context.
van Anders SM. van Anders SM. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2013 Aug;34(3):198-210. doi: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.07.001. Epub 2013 Jul 16. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2013. PMID: 23867694 Review.
Cited by
- Intranasal oxytocin interacts with testosterone reactivity to modulate parochial altruism.
Cherki BR, Winter E, Mankuta D, Zerbib S, Israel S. Cherki BR, et al. Commun Psychol. 2024 Mar 9;2(1):18. doi: 10.1038/s44271-024-00066-9. Commun Psychol. 2024. PMID: 39242967 Free PMC article. - Modulation of the attentional response to baby schema by testosterone in pedohebephilic men and its relation to the nurturing system.
Zannoni R, Keil J, Ponseti J, Stirn AV, Holtfrerich SKC, Diekhof EK. Zannoni R, et al. Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 16;14(1):16385. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-65572-6. Sci Rep. 2024. PMID: 39013917 Free PMC article. - Sexual Pleasure Matters - and How to Define and Assess It Too. A Conceptual Framework of Sexual Pleasure and the Sexual Response.
Werner M, Borgmann M, Laan E. Werner M, et al. Int J Sex Health. 2023 Jun 12;35(3):313-340. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2023.2212663. eCollection 2023. Int J Sex Health. 2023. PMID: 38595929 Free PMC article. - On social health: history, conceptualization, and population patterning.
Doyle DM, Link BG. Doyle DM, et al. Health Psychol Rev. 2024 Sep;18(3):619-648. doi: 10.1080/17437199.2024.2314506. Epub 2024 Feb 13. Health Psychol Rev. 2024. PMID: 38349646 Free PMC article. Review. - Skin-to-Skin Care and Spontaneous Touch by Fathers in Full-Term Infants: A Systematic Review.
Cordolcini L, Castagna A, Mascheroni E, Montirosso R. Cordolcini L, et al. Behav Sci (Basel). 2024 Jan 17;14(1):60. doi: 10.3390/bs14010060. Behav Sci (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38247712 Free PMC article. Review.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous