Relevant research studies

Peter Anthony (Pamoja Teacher and Course Advisor)

The IB Psychology Guide recommends that you study one hormone and one pheromone’s effect on behaviour.

Testosterone is one example of a hormone that you could write about to show your understanding of this topic area.

Testosterone is primarily secreted in the gonads (in the testes of males and the ovaries of females), although small amounts are also secreted by the adrenal glands.

It is the primary male sex hormone and plays a crucial role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as the testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass and hair growth.

The study by Carré et al. (2017) is relevant as ii investigated the link between aggression, testosterone levels and personality in males.

If you were answering an ERQ, then you could also include Carrier and Kabbaj (2012). However, you would need to clearly explain how an animal study can inform an understanding of human behaviour.

Our understanding of how pheromones affect human behaviour is a contested area of psychology.

The studies by Wedekind et al. (1995) and Roberts et al. (2008) are relevant. If you responded to an ERQ on this topic area, you should also raise the counter-arguments by Doty (2010) and Riley (2016).