Infradian Rhythms Flashcards
What are infradian rhythms?
A cycle that lasts more than 24 hours
What is an example of infradian rhythms?
The menstrual cycle
What is the first study on infradian rhythms?
McClintock and Stern. Women wiped a pad on their lip that had pheromones on from the armpits of another women
What were the findings of McClintock and Stern study?
If the pheromones were taken from women who were in the latter half of their cycle, then their menstrual cycle of the women who wiped the pheromones on their lips shortened
What do the findings of McClintock and Stern study show?
The menstrual cycle of a women can be altered by communication via pheromones (EZ)
What is the second study of infradian rhythms?
Reinberg. He studied a women who spent 3 months in a cave with no natural light. Her menstrual cycle shortened to 25.7 days
What did the Reinberg study show?
The levels of light in the cave could have affected the women’s menstruated cycle (EZ). Therefore infradian biological rhythms can be influenced by exogenous zeitgebers such as light
What are three strengths of infradian rhythms?
There are evolutionary advantages as there are potentially synchronised pregnancies, animal research to support and Russell’s research found that 4/5 women’s cycles become synchronised
What are three limitations of infradian rhythms?
It is not clear how long and how close people have to live to synchronise cycles, Wilson stated that evidence was exaggerated and there was no evidence of synchronisation in a female basketball team
