Individual differences affect hormonal responses to a team-based violent videogame competition, but not in solitary play

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Testosterone and cortisol were assessed along with various personality measures in response to a violent videogame competition in three different conditions. Hormonal responses varied with individual differences in social phobia, extroversion/introversion, and in-group orientation. Moreover, the stimuli to which cortisol responded differed between social and nonsocial contexts. Otherwise, testosterone responses appeared to require an audience, without which status appears to be irrelevant.