Hormones Do Not 'Cause' Behavior; They Alter Probabilities of Responses to Given Stimuli in the Appropriate Context

Hormones, in vacuo, simply do not send out behavioral responses without regard to the stimuli coming in. To understand what hormones really do, it is imperative to undertake methodical thinking, beginning with the stimuli themselves. In a specific set of circumstances, well-defined stimuli will have a quantitatively determined possibility of triggering an assessable response. In the absence of the hormone in question, the number of occurrences, their latency, and their amplitude are recorded. Then the hormone in question is added, using a dose, route of administration, and time course deemed likely to be behaviorally effective. Again the same well-defined stimuli are applied, and the response measures are taken. If the hormone facilitates the behavior of interest, the probability of occurrence goes up, latency goes down, and/or amplitude goes up. If the hormone represses that behavior, the opposite changes are seen.