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Scientists have found that giving to others triggers a warm glow, similar to the endorphin-induced highs that people have after sex, a good meal, or indulging in opiates. Now a new study finds another link between sex and charity — or, rather, the lack of charity. The researchers, two California economists, studied the effects of the sex hormone testosterone on the generosity of male university students. Higher levels of testosterone, they found, made the students both more reluctant to give to others and more demanding that others give to them. Here’s how the study was conducted: On varying days, the researchers had 25 male students apply a gel containing placebo; testosterone gel that roughly doubled the level of the hormone in their blood; and a third cream that pushed their testosterone levels even higher.
