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McCain Voters' Testosterone Dropped After Loss
For men, elections are dominance competitions
By Nick McMaster
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Posted Oct 22, 09 6:16 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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Male McCain voters were feeling a little less macho when the results of the 2008 election rolled in. Duke researchers tested testosterone levels in 183 voters across election night. Testosterone normally drops over the late evening—but male Obama voters’ levels remained stable, while McCain voters saw a bigger drop than usual. No such effect took place for women, notes Political Wire.
The study concludes: “Male, but not female, voters respond with testosterone changes to the outcome of presidential elections as if they had personally fought to ascend a social dominance hierarchy."