58 Chapter 3 Additional analyses Fear levels and absolute testosterone reactivity The mixed model analysis for the peak SUDs at the speech exposure session as dependent variable, with Absolute testosterone reactivity (sample 3 – sample 1) and Time (speech 1, speech 2, speech 3, in the speech exposure session) as predictors, showed a main effect of Time, confirming that exposure resulted in the expected within-session reductions in fear levels, Estimate = -7.18(0.97), F(1,70) = 55.40, p <.001. More specifically, SUDs diminished over the three speeches (Mspeech1 = 74.63, SD = 16.58; Mspeech2 = 67.15, SD = 14.01; Mspeech3 = 60.25, SD = 17.71). An additional main effect of gender, Estimate = -4.45(1.87), F(1,67) = 5.51, p = 0.02 showed that fear levels are higher for females (M = 70.04, SD = 16.19) compared to males (M = 60.65, SD = 17.72). In comparison to the analysis for relative reactivity, there was no significant modulation of this effect by absolute testosterone reactivity levels, as indicated by a non-significant Time x Testosterone reactivity interaction, Estimate = -0.55(1.27), F(1,70) = 0.20, p = 0.66. Similar effects were found for post-assessment fear levels. A main effect of Time was found, Estimate = -6.18(0.89), F(1,67) = 47.83, p <.001. More specifically, fear levels diminished from speech 1 (in the speech exposure session) to post assessment (Mspeechpre= 74.63, SD = 16.56; Mspeechpost = 56.05, SD = 20.02. An additional main effect of gender, Estimate = -5.54(1.99), F(1,67) = 7.74, p = 0.01 showed that fear levels are higher for females (M = 69.23, SD = 18.84) compared to males (M = 57.03, SD = 22.08). Again, conforming the effects of the relative testosterone reactivity, there was no significant modulation of this effect by absolute testosterone reactivity levels, as indicated by a non-significant Time x Testosterone reactivity interaction, Estimate = -0.39(1.15), F(1,65) = 0.12, p = 0.73. Social anxiety symptom levels and absolute testosterone reactivity The mixed model analysis for LSAS as dependent variable, with absolute testosterone reactivity (sample 3 – sample 1) and Assessment (pre/post) as predictors, showed a main effect of Assessment, again confirming efficacy of exposure, but now with respect to the social anxiety symptom levels Estimate = -8.76(1.64), F(1,67) = 29.09, p <.001. In specific, LSAS scores reduced from pre to post-assessment (Mpre = 74.80, SD = 22.73; Mpost = 66.01, SD = 24.58). A main effect of Gender, Estimate = -9.60(2.77), F(1,68) = 12.04, p < 0.001 on the LSAS, also indicated again higher scores for females (M = 75.63, SD = 23.91) compared to males (M = 57.53, SD = 18.85). Most critically, an interaction of absolute testosterone reactivity and assessment was not found, Estimate = -2.79(2.12), F(1,66) = 1.73, p = 0.19. Contrary to our results for relative reactivity, reductions in social anxiety symptoms were not dependent of absolute testosterone reactivity.
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