2f. Pheromones and behaviour

Question 1

Pheromones

Answer 1

A chemical substance produced by an animal and released into the environment so as to affect the behavior and physiology of members of its own species

Question 2

Primer pheromones

Answer 2

Causes slow long-term physiological changes such as hormonal effect

Question 3

Signaling pheromones

Answer 3

Produces rapid behavioral effects such as mating

Question 4

What are some arguments for existence of pheromones in humans?

Answer 4

• Other mammals have it
• We also secrete scents like other mammals
• Studies have shown that pheromones influence socio-sexual behavior

Question 5

What are some arguments against existence of pheromones in humans?

Answer 5

• Generalizations from animal research have yet to be proven for humans
• Smells are not necessarily pheromones= construct validity
• Humans do not appear to have functional VNO organ
• Human process of scent is too complex to study
• Studies have been hard to replicate
• Human mating behavior is influenced by cognitive and social factors

Question 6

Zhou: Aim

Answer 6

Wanted to see whether pheromones play a role in human behavior

Question 7

Zhou: Research method

Answer 7

Lab experiment

Question 8

Zhou: Procedure

Answer 8

• Looked at androstadienone and estraetranol (AND and EST). They are chemicals present in male and females respectively and are believed to heighten arousal and activate hypothalamus
• Included 96 healthy, non smokers. Divided into 4 groups of 24: heterosexual males and females and homosexual males and females
• Participants were presented with point-light walker test where a set of dots mimic the way a human moves. They were asked to guess the sex
• Performed for 3 consecutive days at the same time to counterbalance order effects.
• Each day they were exposed to one of the three:
  AND mixed with cloves, EST mixed with cloves and control solution mixed with cloves

Question 9

Zhou: Results

Answer 9

• Heterosexual females and homosexual males were more likely to identify it as masculine when exposed to AND.
• Heterosexual males exposed to EST were more likely to identify as feminine
• No difference in bisexual/ lesbian women

Question 10

Zhou: Evaluation

Answer 10

• Believed to have some effect on sexual behavior
• Construct validity as smell may not be the best indicator
• Hare et. al failed to replicate and found that “assumed pheromones”, had no effect on gender perception or attractiveness
• No cause and effect
• Dose of EST and ADN was higher than normal amount released

Question 11

Zhou: Strengths

Answer 11

• Had high population validity as it took into account sexuality
• Study was counter-balanced to control for order effects

Question 12

Zhou: What is a weakness?

Answer 12

It is a reductionist approach as smell is a very complex process