QUESTION: 
Could Carol Vleck's research results on penguin hormonal levels
(testosterone levels affecting territorial aggression / nurturing in males)
be applied to human males, through hormonal therapy, to help disfunctional
fathers become better parents?

        Mrs. Peterson's class, 5th-grade, Mead Valley Elem., Perris, CA

ANSWER from Carol Vleck, Researcher, Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Fri, 7 Feb 1997 08:47:08 -0600

Dear Mrs. Peterson's 5th Graders,,
Wow, you've asked a tough question and I wish I knew the answer.  In some
birds you can affect whether a male bird is a "good, nurturing father" by
manipulating the level of testosterone (more testosterone means less
parenting skills).  The situation is humans, though, is so much more
complex that it is impossible to say that something as simple as hormone
therapy would help dysfunctional fathers.  There are just far too many
other things affecting human behavior like experience and knowledge.  In
general I would have to predict that human behavior is less influenced by
hormones than it is in other animals, but it is nearly impossible to design
a good experiment that one could actually do to prove this.

Thanks for your question!
Carol