McClintock and Stern study

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Aims

To study the infradian menstrual cycle of humas to investigate the synchrony of the cycle

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Porcedure

  • used a 10 year old longitudinal follow up study involvinig 29 women between the ages of 20 and 35 with history of irregular, spontaneous ovulation
  • researchers gathered samples of pheromones from 9 women at certain points in their menstrual cycles, by placing pads of cotton in their armpits
  • pads were then passed under the noses of the other 20 women on a daily basis
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Findings

  • 68% of women responded to pheromones. Menstrual cycles were either shortened (from 1 to 14 days) or lengthened (from 1 to 12 days) depending on when in the cycle pheromones had been collected
  • early collected pheromones shortened cycles of the 2nd group of women by speeding their pre-ovulatory surge of leuteinising hormone
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Conclusions

  • Infradian menstrual cycles can very much be affected by pheromones emitted by other women
  • unclear how pheromones trigger the menstrual cycle change
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