ABSTRACT
Numerous animal experiments, especially on rodents, show that raising testosterone levels increases aggression. In interpreting this work, it is important to distinguish aggressive behavior from dominance behavior. An individual will be said to act aggressively if its apparent intent is to inflict physical injury on a member of its species. An individual acts dominantly if its apparent intent is to achieve or maintain high status-i.e., to obtain power, influence, or valued prerogatives-over a conspecific. Rodents typically dominate aggressively, but that is not true among the higher primates.
