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Study

Men’s Testosterone Levels Drop When Interacting with Their Friends’ Wives

C. Price

Written by: C. Price

C. Price

C. Price is part of DatingAdvice.com's content team. She writes advice articles, how-to guides, and studies — all relating to dating, relationships, love, sex, and more.

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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Reviewed by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted as a dating expert by The Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, Bustle, Salon, Well+Good, and AskMen.

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Drops in testosterone indicate men are naturally wired to avoid pursuing their friends’ romantic partners, according to a study.

Coming out of the University of Missouri, the study found men’s testosterone levels actually drop when interacting with their friends’ wives.

Researchers said high testosterone levels correlate with increased sexual aggression. Conversely, low testosterone levels correlate with lowered attraction.

“Men’s testosterone levels actually drop

when interacting with their friends’ wives.”

If interacting with a certain woman spikes a man’s testosterone, he will find her more attractive than the average woman, but when a man’s testosterone levels drop when interacting with a woman, this leaves him feeling disinterested in her.

Researchers said the study provides a biochemical understanding for why men generally do not commit adultery with their friends’ wives, despite having more opportunity to cheat with these women than an unknown woman they meet at a bar or work.

“Men’s testosterone levels generally increase when they are interacting with a potential sexual partner or an enemy’s mate,” Mark Finn said. “However, our findings suggest that men’s minds have evolved to foster a situation where the stable pair bonds of friends are respected.”

Source: ScienceDaily.com.