TestosteronePhase 4PSYNCT02799277

A Multinomial Process Model of Moral Judgment

A Phase 4 study testing Testosterone in people with Testosterone and Placebos, run by Robert Josephs at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

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Trial summary

The main goal of this project to investigate the psychological processes underlying moral judgments in social dilemmas. We will examine neuroendocrine determinants of moral judgment by investigating the effects of exogenous testosterone Read more about this study

Who is it for?: Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for: Testosterone, Placebos
What is being tested?: Testosterone
Could I receive a placebo?: Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people: 206 participants
Where: 1 siteUnited States
Study dates: 30 Aug 2017to 1 Jun 2018
Phase: Phase 4
Are there results?: Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 18 years and older
All sexes
No healthy volunteers
Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

must be currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin

Who cannot join

not comfortable with the self-administration of testosterone for the purpose of our study less than 18 years old BMI less than 18 or above 27 suffer from any of the physical health conditions listed on the pre-screen questionnaire (I will not ask about mental health because our study is not about mental health) take any of the medications listed on the pre-screen questionnaire currently pregnant (females) irregular cycle in the past 6 months (females) smoke more than 5 cigarettes/day use cocaine more than once/month (or should I exclude all those who use any drugs recreationally more than once/month?) drink more than 10 alcoholic beverages/week

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology
Austin, Texas, 78712

Other trials in United States

About this study

Read the detailed description

Medical Screening Interview: Participants will be asked to answer several questions to identify potential medical and non-medical conditions that would preclude the self-administration of testosterone.
First Saliva Sample: Participants will be asked provide a saliva sample after they completed the medical screening interview.
Testosterone Self-Administration: Immediately following the first saliva collection, participants will self-administer spray puffs of either testosterone or placebo.
Relaxation: Participants will be given the opportunity to relax for 30 minutes.
Moral Dilemmas Judgments: Participants will be asked to read a set of 24 moral dilemmas that describe situations in which an actor has to make a decision on whether or not to engage in a particular action (e.g., sacrifice the well-being of one person to protect the well-being of several others). Participants will be asked to indicate whether they consider the described action acceptable or unacceptable.
Demographics: Participants will be asked to indicate their gender, age, and ethnicity.
Ear Temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure will be measured before drug administration, and again 20 minutes after drug administration. If temperature changes more than 2 degrees, heart rate changes more than 20bmp, or if blood pressure changes more than 20%, the experiment will be terminated and subjects will be escorted across the street to the University Emergency Room.

Conditions: Testosterone, Placebos
Being tested: Testosterone, Placebo

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

TestosteroneDrug
Effect of testosterone on moral decision making
PlaceboDrug
Effect of testosterone on moral decision making

Study groups in NCT02799277
Study group	Role	What they receive
Testosterone	Experimental	14mg testosterone will be administered intranasally in a 1milliliter aqueous solution Receives: Drug: Testosterone
Placebo	Placebo comparator	1ml blank (containing no drug) aqueous solution will be administered intranasally Receives: Drug: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Aligns With Moral Norms
Participants were asked to read and respond to a validated set of 24 moral dilemmas. The dilemma set included 4 parallel versions of 6 basic scenarios that varied in terms of whether (a) the dilemma involved a proscriptive norm that prohibits action or a prescriptive norm that prescribes action and (b) the benefits of the described action for overall well-being are either greater or smaller than its costs for overall well-being. Participants were asked to indicate for each dilemma whether or not they would perform the described action, using forced-choice options labeled yes and no.
Measured: 90 minutes
Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Maximizes Welfare
Participants were asked to read and respond to a validated set of 24 moral dilemmas. The dilemma set included 4 parallel versions of 6 basic scenarios that varied in terms of whether (a) the dilemma involved a proscriptive norm that prohibits action or a prescriptive norm that prescribes action and (b) the benefits of the described action for overall well-being are either greater or smaller than its costs for overall well-being. Participants were asked to indicate for each dilemma whether or not they would perform the described action, using forced-choice options labeled yes and no.
Measured: 90 minutes
Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Involves Inaction Versus Action
Participants were asked to read and respond to a validated set of 24 moral dilemmas. The dilemma set included 4 parallel versions of 6 basic scenarios that varied in terms of whether (a) the dilemma involved a proscriptive norm that prohibits action or a prescriptive norm that prescribes action and (b) the benefits of the described action for overall well-being are either greater or smaller than its costs for overall well-being. Participants were asked to indicate for each dilemma whether or not they would perform the described action, using forced-choice options labeled yes and no.
Measured: 90 minutes

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

30 Aug 20171 Jun 2018

First posted14 Jun 2016 (estimated)
Study start30 Aug 2017
Primary completion5 May 2018
Study completion1 Jun 2018

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
Other trials for TestosteroneStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 4
Primary purpose: Basic science
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: Triple blind
Who is masked: Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment: 206 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02799277
Sponsor's protocol ID: 2014-12-0010
Acronym: PSY
Status last verified: Sep 2026
First submitted: 9 Jun 2016
Last updated: 28 Sep 2026
Results posted: Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
Data monitoring committee: No
FDA-regulated drug: Yes
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: No

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

See locations

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All Testosterone trials

Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: A Multinomial Process Model of Moral Judgment
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02799277
Acronym / sponsor ID: PSY / 2014-12-0010
Conditions: Testosterone, Placebos
Phase: Phase 4
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 206 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: Robert JosephsUniversity, hospital or other
Study start: 30 Aug 2017 (actual)
Primary completion: 5 May 2018 (actual)
Study completion: 1 Jun 2018 (actual)
First posted: 14 Jun 2016 (estimated)
Results: Posted 28 Sep 2026

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

Medical Screening Interview: Participants will be asked to answer several questions to identify potential medical and non-medical conditions that would preclude the self-administration of testosterone.
First Saliva Sample: Participants will be asked provide a saliva sample after they completed the medical screening interview.
Testosterone Self-Administration: Immediately following the first saliva collection, participants will self-administer spray puffs of either testosterone or placebo.
Relaxation: Participants will be given the opportunity to relax for 30 minutes.
Moral Dilemmas Judgments: Participants will be asked to read a set of 24 moral dilemmas that describe situations in which an actor has to make a decision on whether or not to engage in a particular action (e.g., sacrifice the well-being of one person to protect the well-being of several others). Participants will be asked to indicate whether they consider the described action acceptable or unacceptable.
Demographics: Participants will be asked to indicate their gender, age, and ethnicity.
Ear Temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure will be measured before drug administration, and again 20 minutes after drug administration. If temperature changes more than 2 degrees, heart rate changes more than 20bmp, or if blood pressure changes more than 20%, the experiment will be terminated and subjects will be escorted across the street to the University Emergency Room.

Study design

Primary purpose: Basic science
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
Number of arms: 2

Arm	Type	Receives
Testosterone	Experimental	Drug: Testosterone14mg testosterone will be administered intranasally in a 1milliliter aqueous solution
Placebo	Placebo comparator	Drug: Placebo1ml blank (containing no drug) aqueous solution will be administered intranasally

Who may qualify

Ages: 18 years and older
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)

must be currently enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin

Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)

not comfortable with the self-administration of testosterone for the purpose of our study less than 18 years old BMI less than 18 or above 27 suffer from any of the physical health conditions listed on the pre-screen questionnaire (I will not ask about mental health because our study is not about mental health) take any of the medications listed on the pre-screen questionnaire currently pregnant (females) irregular cycle in the past 6 months (females) smoke more than 5 cigarettes/day use cocaine more than once/month (or should I exclude all those who use any drugs recreationally more than once/month?) drink more than 10 alcoholic beverages/week

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
TestosteroneEffect of testosterone on moral decision making	Drug	Testosterone
PlaceboEffect of testosterone on moral decision making	Drug	Placebo

Primary outcome

Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Aligns With Moral Norms
Time frame: 90 minutes
Participants were asked to read and respond to a validated set of 24 moral dilemmas. The dilemma set included 4 parallel versions of 6 basic scenarios that varied in terms of whether (a) the dilemma involved a proscriptive norm that prohibits action or a prescriptive norm that prescribes action and (b) the benefits of the described action for overall well-being are either greater or smaller than its costs for overall well-being. Participants were asked to indicate for each dilemma whether or not they would perform the described action, using forced-choice options labeled yes and no.
Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Maximizes Welfare
Time frame: 90 minutes
Participants were asked to read and respond to a validated set of 24 moral dilemmas. The dilemma set included 4 parallel versions of 6 basic scenarios that varied in terms of whether (a) the dilemma involved a proscriptive norm that prohibits action or a prescriptive norm that prescribes action and (b) the benefits of the described action for overall well-being are either greater or smaller than its costs for overall well-being. Participants were asked to indicate for each dilemma whether or not they would perform the described action, using forced-choice options labeled yes and no.
Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Involves Inaction Versus Action
Time frame: 90 minutes
Participants were asked to read and respond to a validated set of 24 moral dilemmas. The dilemma set included 4 parallel versions of 6 basic scenarios that varied in terms of whether (a) the dilemma involved a proscriptive norm that prohibits action or a prescriptive norm that prescribes action and (b) the benefits of the described action for overall well-being are either greater or smaller than its costs for overall well-being. Participants were asked to indicate for each dilemma whether or not they would perform the described action, using forced-choice options labeled yes and no.

Results and safety

Results posted to the registry on 28 Sep 2026, as reported by the sponsor. Figures are copied from the record, not re-analysed. Full results on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Participant flow

Group	Started	Completed
Testosterone	103	100
Placebo	103	100

Primary outcome: Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Aligns With Moral Norms

Time frame: 90 minutes. Number (95% Confidence Interval). Unit: probability

Measure	Drug n = 100	Control n = 100
Value	0.43435 (0.38332 to 0.48538)	0.31107 (0.25577 to 0.36638)

Primary outcome: Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Maximizes Welfare

Time frame: 90 minutes. Number (95% Confidence Interval). Unit: probability

Measure	Drug n = 100	Control n = 100
Value	0.29004 (0.2538 to 0.32628)	0.33763 (0.30089 to 0.37437)

Primary outcome: Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Involves Inaction Versus Action

Time frame: 90 minutes. Number (95% Confidence Interval). Unit: probability

Measure	Drug n = 100	Control n = 100
Value	0.51381 (0.46976 to 0.55786)	0.51839 (0.47864 to 0.55813)

Adverse events

Time frame: Duration of the subject visit -- 90 minutes. Other adverse events reported at 3% frequency or more

Group	Serious adverse events	Other adverse events	Deaths
Testosterone	0 of 100 (0%)	3 of 100 (3%)	0 of 100
Placebo	0 of 100 (0%)	3 of 100 (3%)	0 of 100

Limitations and caveats (from the sponsor): The study was conducted with a highly homogeneous sample of university undergraduates, which may limit the generalizability of the obtained results to other populations.

Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Sep 2026.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: No

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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

Robert A Josephs, PhD principal investigator

Professor

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 4 study testing Testosterone in people with Testosterone and Placebos, run by Robert Josephs at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 4 studies take place after a treatment is approved, to learn more about its long-term benefits and risks in everyday use.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 28 Sep 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Probability of Making a Moral Judgment That Aligns With Moral Norms (time frame: 90 minutes). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02799277.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Sep 2026.