Steroid Hormones in Social Science Research

Abstract Steroid hormones, such as cortisol, estrogens, and testosterone, are a class of chemical messenger that travel in the bloodstream and affect every nucleated cell in the body. This means that they have wide-ranging and profound effects on decision making, risk taking, consumption patterns, interpersonal behavior, and many other topics of interest to the social scientist. This chapter aims to do three things. First, to explain what steroid hormones are, their mode of action, and their regulation. Second, to discuss how steroid hormones and their effects might be accurately measured. Finally, this chapter reviews how steroid hormones have been used in existing social scientific research and how they might be more effectively used in future research programs.