Male supporters of presidential candidates John McCain and Bob Barr took news of their candidates’ loss to Barack Obama hard, almost like a kick in the crotch, a new study from Duke University and the University of Michigan concludes.
Young men who voted for either McCain or Barr suffered immediate drops in their testosterone levels after the election results were announced, while Obama supporters suffered no change. Females also suffered no change, according to the study, which will be published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday…
Past studies have shown that of men who participate directly in a competition, the winner gets a testosterone boost while the loser’s testosterone drops. But this study indicates that testosterone changes occur through vicarious participation as well.
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