Pheromones and behaviour

Androstadienone and attraction (Cornwell et al and Saxton et al)

Cornwell et al (AIMS)

To investigate how androstadienone affects what types of faces women find attractive

Cornwell et al (PROCEDURE)

(112) FEMALE participants who were shown a series of faces varying in masculinity then asked to rank them. After ranking them based on preferences for a long or short term relationship ASKED to smell vials that contained 5 different chemicals. One of them containing the pheromone androstadienone (and asked to rate their pleasantness)

Cornwell et al (RESULTS)

A correlation of (0.38) between preference for masculine faces for a long-term relationship and the preference for the smell of androstadienone

Cornwell et al (CONCLUSION)

That pheromones (androstadienone) may influence attraction by enhancing the appeal of sex-typical traits which could signal high genetic quality to potential mates.

Cornwall et al (STRENGTHS)

• Large sample size (enhanced statistical credibility)

• A double blind procedure (reducing research bias)

Cornwell et al (LIMITATIONS)

• Attraction is subjective can be influenced by many other factors, culture, environment (almost impossible to pin down exactly one factor

• Gender bias

Saxton et al (AIMS)

To see if androstadienone would have an affect on how attractive females rated males during a speed dating event

Saxton et al (PROCEDURE)

During a speed dating event (25 females) were given one of the 3 cotton wool plugs to plug into their noses. One had androstadienone and clove oil, another just clove oil and the 3rd water. Then participated in a speed dating event with (22) male participants

Saxton et al (RESULTS)

The results showed that 2 out of the 3 speed dating experiments females exposed to androstadienone ranked the males as being more attractive than the females in the other 2 (cotton wool plug) groups.

Saxton et al (CONCLUSION)

That exposure to this pheromone might increase feelings of attraction.

• The study could provide evidence that androstadienone is acting as a pheromone because it is affecting the behaviour of the females

Saxton et al (STRENGTHS)

• naturalistic setting (speed-dating mimicking a real-life scenario)

• The controlled use of androstadienone

Saxton et al (LIMITATIONS)

• Potential participant biases in self-reported attractiveness ratings

• Limited generalizability due to small sample size