Testosterone and emotion recognition in older age

Prior research has shown that naturally occurring testosterone levels are related to poorer social skills in younger adult cohorts. However, no study to date has tested whether the same relationship exists in older age. This is surprising given that older adults report difficulties on social tasks and because testosterone levels naturally decline with age. Therefore, this study aims to provide the first assessment of the relationship between salivary testosterone levels and social skills in older age.

Participants will be asked to provide a saliva sample and complete some brief tasks on a laptop or with pen and paper. The tasks will include cognitive assessments (i.e., a vocabulary test) and social understanding assessments (i.e., recognising emotions from faces).

We expect this session to be completed within one hour. Testing sessions are run with up to three participants at once so couples and friends are more than welcome to participate together.

You'll receive:

Participants will be provided with a $20 Coles Myer Gift card on completion of the one hour testing session.

Eligibility:

All participants must be over 65 years of age to be eligible for this study.

Because we are measuring hormones, we have some exclusion criteria. You will not be able to participate if you:

• Are currently taking hormone replacement therapy
• Are currently taking steroids
• Are a current smoker
• Currently have an immune, metabolic, or kidney disorder
• Currently have a cold or infection.

Register your interest:

Please contact Jess Mead via phone (0459 999 056) or email (j.mead@uq.net.au) for more information.

This study has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No. 2019000500]