A Curvilinear Relationship Between Hair Loss, Mental Rotation, and Neuroticism: A Possible Influence of Sustained Dihydrotestosterone Production
July 2001
in “
Personality and Individual Differences
”
TLDR Men with moderate hair loss had the best spatial thinking, and long-term DHT might affect cognition.
The study with 181 male participants explored the connection between hair loss, mental rotation ability, and neuroticism, considering the role of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It found a curvilinear relationship where moderate hair loss was associated with the highest mental rotation ability, suggesting that average levels of DHT might be optimal for spatial cognition. Neuroticism also displayed an inverted-U relationship with hair loss, but this was less clear. The study concluded that long-term DHT levels might influence cognitive function, and that attitudes towards hair loss could be evolving. The significant quadratic effect on mental rotation scores (F(1,179)=4.43, P<0.05) supported the findings, while the relationship between hair loss and neuroticism did not align with previous research that linked greater hair loss to higher neuroticism.
