Of Monkies and Men...

Why are some men more aggressive than others? What causes this aggression? Some studies (information retrieved from http://www.warandgender.com/wgmaleag.htm) have shown that testosterone levels increase not just in preparation for competition (such as a sports match, a chess game, or any type of task) but also increase after completion of the task. However, the increase in testosterone does not appear to occur in the loser of the competition, but the winner. Furthermore, testosterone increases were correlated with winners' perceptions of themselves more than the outcome of the game. For example, in a study of chess players, testosterone levels increased 10% in matches where the players were closely rivaled, but when chess games were perceived to be easy wins, testosterone levels of winners matched that of losers (down 10%).
Similar results have been found in studies of rhesus monkeys. Researchers wondered if testosterone levels in the monkeys predicted status and hierarchy within the group. They did not. However, once hierarchy was established, testosterone in the leader rose drastically. After fighting, the loser monkey would experience about a 10% drop in testosterone.
What does all of this mean? That testosterone levels play an integral role in reflecting changes in status. This phenomenon occurs in men, but does not occur in women. Testosterone and androgen levels remain unaffected when women are in competition with each other.
For more information on this topic please refer to the original source: War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa by Joshua S. Goldstein (Cambridge University Press, September 2001).

My suggestion? If men can harp on women for our hormonal moments, using the term "she's PMSing", then it seems only appropriate for us to be able to harp on men when they act like competitive, over-bearing animals. What should we call this phenomenon? TTSing? (Ten-percent Testosterone Syndrome?) MMSing? (Monkey-Man Syndrome?) I say that they are both fitting terms and being scientifically based, I am coining them as actual terms we can use to identify and discuss this syndrome. I encourage anyone else who agrees with me to feel free to use the terms TTS or MMS when encountering this male hormonal phenomenon. I know I will!