Love Potion Lab

Question 1

Define pheromone

Answer 1

a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social/behavioral response in members of the same species

Question 2

What are the credentials of Dr. Cutler, the creator of the “Love Potion” pheremone?

Answer 2

B.S. in Psychology(Ursinus college)

PhD in Biology(University of Pennsylvania)

Post-doctoral work in behavioral endocrinology (University of Standford)

Co-founded Women’s Wellness Program at University of Pennsylvania hospital

Question 3

Is the Athena Insititute affiliated with a hospital or university?

Answer 3

NO

Question 4

What is a double-blind study?

Answer 4

When the researcher and participants do not know the hypotheses and expectations of an experiment; do not know wanted results of an experiment associated with certain variables and expected outcomes(blind to crucial aspects)

Question 5

What is the vomeronasal organ? (Love Potion #2)

Answer 5

(VNO)s, nerve cells in tiny, cigar-shaped sacs that begins accessory olfactory systems(signals picked up here first in sense of smell)

Question 6

Placebo

Answer 6

a substance/treatment designed to have no therapeutic value; no active ingredient in drug to create affect

Question 7

What is the hypothesis of “Pheromonal Influences on Sociosexual Behavior in Young Women?” (Love Potion #2)

Answer 7

A greater proportion of subjects using pheromones than those using a placebo will have increased sociosexual behavior over the baseline towards men.

Question 8

Describe the Love Potion Article experiment (Love Potion #2)

Answer 8

2 groups of participants charted their behaviors before(for 2 weeks) and after receiving either a placebo or pheromone

Question 9

Describe the Love Potion Article experiment

Answer 9

2 groups of participants charted their behaviors before(for 2 weeks) and after receiving either a placebo or pheromone

consistent variables included: women, heterosexual, regularly menstruating, neither married or cohabitating with a man, not using oral contraceptive

Question 10

Note the results and discussion of the love potion’s article experimentq

Answer 10

sleeping next to a romantic partner and male approaches increased; factors outside of the study that could affect it were self-constricting biases, shame over sexual encounters/affection, and bias of self-reported health

Behaviors were recorded before and after to take note of any differences that occurred

Data to support the hypothesis was more affection, sleeping next to someone, formal dates, and sex for those using pheromone over those with placebo

Data that did not support the hypothesis were informal dates, male approaches, and masturbation

Question 11

For Love Potion #1 Associated with Dr. Cutler, what led you to not being able to tell if the pheromone she created works?

Answer 11

The study does not have scientific evidence/significance; the experiment based on twins need more repetition and consistency, and could be affected by multiple outside factors (relating to bias)