Pheromones

Question 1

What are pheromones?

Answer 1

Chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal, affecting the behaviour or physiology of others of its own species.

Question 2

Evidence for pheromones.

Answer 2

There is some evidence on functional pheromones in humans but it is not conclusive.

Question 3

Types of pheromones.

Answer 3

Primer pheromones- cause slow, long-term physiological changes, such as hormonal effects.
Signalling pheromones- produce rapid behavioural effects, such as mating.
There is some evidence of primer pheromones in humans.

Question 4

Pheromones strengths

Answer 4

• A lot of research is being conducted in this area

Question 5

Pheromones limitations

Answer 5

• Human sense of smell is complex, making it difficult to observe how pheromones could work in humans
• Many body odours are not caused by secretions but by bacteria mixed with it, however approximately 20% of the population does not have this bacteria, and does not create the scent
• Culture teaches us what smells good and bad
• Much research is artificial and insufficiently replicated