Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents
Handgrip strength (HGS) is highly heritable and a good overall measure of strength and muscle function. Indicative of blood testosterone levels and fat-free body mass, HGS is also highly sexually dimorphic. Recent psychological research shows that HGS is correlated with a number of social variables,...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2010-04-01
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| Series: | Evolutionary Psychology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491000800207 |
| _version_ | 1797303553380843520 |
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| author | Andrew C. Gallup Daniel T. O'Brien Daniel D. White David Sloan Wilson |
| author_facet | Andrew C. Gallup Daniel T. O'Brien Daniel D. White David Sloan Wilson |
| author_sort | Andrew C. Gallup |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Handgrip strength (HGS) is highly heritable and a good overall measure of strength and muscle function. Indicative of blood testosterone levels and fat-free body mass, HGS is also highly sexually dimorphic. Recent psychological research shows that HGS is correlated with a number of social variables, but only in males. We conducted three studies to further investigate the relationship between HGS and measures of aggression and social competition among adolescents. Consistent with previous reports, correlations were almost exclusive to males, but this was only visible during late adolescence (i.e., high school). These findings support evolutionary hypotheses regarding grip strength in male-male competition and suggest that similar to measures of testosterone, HGS is a measure that is predictive of social behavior in older adolescent males. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:54:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0f002bbeab54a75ac7307cf68cd5466 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1474-7049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:54:28Z |
| publishDate | 2010-04-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0f002bbeab54a75ac7307cf68cd54662024-02-18T13:04:35ZengSAGE PublishingEvolutionary Psychology1474-70492010-04-01810.1177/14747049100080020710.1177_147470491000800207Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male AdolescentsAndrew C. GallupDaniel T. O'BrienDaniel D. WhiteDavid Sloan WilsonHandgrip strength (HGS) is highly heritable and a good overall measure of strength and muscle function. Indicative of blood testosterone levels and fat-free body mass, HGS is also highly sexually dimorphic. Recent psychological research shows that HGS is correlated with a number of social variables, but only in males. We conducted three studies to further investigate the relationship between HGS and measures of aggression and social competition among adolescents. Consistent with previous reports, correlations were almost exclusive to males, but this was only visible during late adolescence (i.e., high school). These findings support evolutionary hypotheses regarding grip strength in male-male competition and suggest that similar to measures of testosterone, HGS is a measure that is predictive of social behavior in older adolescent males.https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491000800207 |
| spellingShingle | Andrew C. Gallup Daniel T. O'Brien Daniel D. White David Sloan Wilson Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents Evolutionary Psychology |
| title | Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents |
| title_full | Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents |
| title_fullStr | Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents |
| title_short | Handgrip Strength and Socially Dominant Behavior in Male Adolescents |
| title_sort | handgrip strength and socially dominant behavior in male adolescents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491000800207 |
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