Presented By: Research Center for Group Dynamics (RCGD)
RCGD Fall Seminar Series on the Science of Social Relationships: Robin Edelstein
Testosterone Tradeoffs in Close Relationships
Robin Edelstein of the University of Michigan joins the RCGD Seminar Series on the Science of Social Relationships.
In the media and popular culture, testosterone is often depicted as a hormone that is critical for seemingly “masculine” behaviors, such as competition, sexual prowess, and physical strength. Based on such characterizations, one might assume that testosterone only matters for men, and that, at least for men, the more testosterone the better. In actuality, however, the story is more complicated: First, testosterone is important for both men and women. Second, although there are certainly many benefits of high(er) testosterone, including for attracting and securing sexual partners, lower testosterone may in fact be more beneficial for maintaining close relationships—including with romantic partners and children. In this talk, Robin Edelstein will present work from her lab on testosterone and relationship processes in romantic and parent-child relationships. Taken together, this work demonstrates that (a) in both men and women, testosterone declines as a function of partnering and parenting, (b) lower testosterone facilitates ongoing nurturant relationship processes, and (c) testosterone matters not only for one’s own relationship outcomes but also those of one’s partner.
Dr. Robin Edelstein is a social/personality psychologist with expertise in close relationships, parent-infant and adult romantic attachment, and social neuroendocrinology. Her work is motivated by a desire to understand how important emotional and interpersonal processes, which are typically assumed to apply to all people, may instead differ across people in meaningful ways. Dr. Edelstein is particularly interested in understanding how close relationship experiences (e.g., interactions with romantic partners, major relationship transitions) get “under the skin” to influence people’s physiology, as well as how people’s physiology can influence their relationship outcomes. She also studies individual differences in people’s approaches to and experiences in close relationships; how these differences develop and change over time and across the lifespan; and the implications of these differences for interpersonal and physiological outcomes. Dr. Edelstein received her Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology from the University of California, Davis. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Irvine, she joined the faculty at the University of Michigan, where she is currently a Professor of Psychology in the Personality and Social Contexts area.
About the series:
Humans are social animals and from the earliest days of life, are dependent on the quality of social relationships with significant others: family, kin, friends, and a growing social network of online acquaintances. But, how do we conduct research and come to understand the social processes transpiring in these significant social connections with others? What are the consequences for individual development and mental health outcomes of having close intimate relationships in one’s life? There is also a darker side to some relationships in the form of violence, aggression, and conflict. How do we study these processes? Social media and artificial intelligence have opened up new ways of thinking about “what is a social relationship?” and how many of these “friends” can one truly have.
The speakers for this series will focus on different types of social relationships, spanning family and parent-child relationships, friendships, peer networks, romantic relationships, attachment relationships, and the use of online media to maintain social connections. Although several speakers are senior scholars with extensive research backgrounds in the field, many are junior scholars who are traversing new paths into the science of social relationships. Please join us Mondays to learn more about the exciting field of social relationships!
These events are held Mondays from 3:30 to 5.
In person: ISR Thompson 1430, unless otherwise specified.
Organized by Brenda Volling and Richard Gonzalez.
As permissions allow, seminars are later posted to our YouTube playlist.
In the media and popular culture, testosterone is often depicted as a hormone that is critical for seemingly “masculine” behaviors, such as competition, sexual prowess, and physical strength. Based on such characterizations, one might assume that testosterone only matters for men, and that, at least for men, the more testosterone the better. In actuality, however, the story is more complicated: First, testosterone is important for both men and women. Second, although there are certainly many benefits of high(er) testosterone, including for attracting and securing sexual partners, lower testosterone may in fact be more beneficial for maintaining close relationships—including with romantic partners and children. In this talk, Robin Edelstein will present work from her lab on testosterone and relationship processes in romantic and parent-child relationships. Taken together, this work demonstrates that (a) in both men and women, testosterone declines as a function of partnering and parenting, (b) lower testosterone facilitates ongoing nurturant relationship processes, and (c) testosterone matters not only for one’s own relationship outcomes but also those of one’s partner.
Dr. Robin Edelstein is a social/personality psychologist with expertise in close relationships, parent-infant and adult romantic attachment, and social neuroendocrinology. Her work is motivated by a desire to understand how important emotional and interpersonal processes, which are typically assumed to apply to all people, may instead differ across people in meaningful ways. Dr. Edelstein is particularly interested in understanding how close relationship experiences (e.g., interactions with romantic partners, major relationship transitions) get “under the skin” to influence people’s physiology, as well as how people’s physiology can influence their relationship outcomes. She also studies individual differences in people’s approaches to and experiences in close relationships; how these differences develop and change over time and across the lifespan; and the implications of these differences for interpersonal and physiological outcomes. Dr. Edelstein received her Ph.D. in Social/Personality Psychology from the University of California, Davis. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Irvine, she joined the faculty at the University of Michigan, where she is currently a Professor of Psychology in the Personality and Social Contexts area.
About the series:
Humans are social animals and from the earliest days of life, are dependent on the quality of social relationships with significant others: family, kin, friends, and a growing social network of online acquaintances. But, how do we conduct research and come to understand the social processes transpiring in these significant social connections with others? What are the consequences for individual development and mental health outcomes of having close intimate relationships in one’s life? There is also a darker side to some relationships in the form of violence, aggression, and conflict. How do we study these processes? Social media and artificial intelligence have opened up new ways of thinking about “what is a social relationship?” and how many of these “friends” can one truly have.
The speakers for this series will focus on different types of social relationships, spanning family and parent-child relationships, friendships, peer networks, romantic relationships, attachment relationships, and the use of online media to maintain social connections. Although several speakers are senior scholars with extensive research backgrounds in the field, many are junior scholars who are traversing new paths into the science of social relationships. Please join us Mondays to learn more about the exciting field of social relationships!
These events are held Mondays from 3:30 to 5.
In person: ISR Thompson 1430, unless otherwise specified.
Organized by Brenda Volling and Richard Gonzalez.
As permissions allow, seminars are later posted to our YouTube playlist.
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