The human response to stress has been characterized, both on a physiological and behavioral level, as "fight or flight". This fight or flight may characterize the primary physiological responses to stress for both males and females. Social psychology is the study of people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are influenced by events around them both physically and mentally. Social psychologists explain human behavior as a result of a mental state or immediate social situations. Psychologists determine outcomes and address factors that drive patient behavior. They look at anything that could cause the behavior to occur. For example, social psychologist Amy Cuddy looks at two specific hormones that determine how the patient might react. The two hormones are called cortisol and testosterone. Cortisol, according to Encyclopedia.com, is “a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which promotes the synthesis and storage of glucose and is therefore important in the normal response to stress…” (Encyclopedia.com) Testosterone is a hormone steroid that stimulates the body. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol play an important role in blocking testosterone's influence on competition and success. When cortisol is released in response to a threat, the body mobilizes to escape the danger, rather than responding to any influence testosterone is having on behavior. Studies provide new evidence that opposing hormones work against each other to regulate dominant and competitive behaviors. For social psychology, these two hormones are the most important in determining how people react to the work environment. To demonstrate that the two hormones react, Amy Cuddy put two groups of people in a nerve-wracking situation and told them... middle of paper... or presence. Studies show that people who have high cortisol levels tend to feel more insecure at that time. Another experiment conducted by Amy Cuddy was to have two groups of people perform a certain task again. He gave each group the opportunity to gamble. The alpha group took the opportunity and started betting immediately, however, the submissive group hesitated and rejected the offer. They rejected the offer because people with higher cortisol always think that they will lose no matter what. This shows that those with alpha personalities tend to take more risks than submissive groups. In response to this discovery, Amy Cuddy exclaimed, "Our bodies change minds, and our minds can change our behavior, and our behavior can change our outcomes." (Ted Talk) In conclusion, cortisol and testosterone influence people's behavior. . Social psychologist Amy Cuddy