Pheromones

Question 1

what are pheromones ?

Answer 1

A pheromone is a chemical that an animal produces which changes the
behaviour of another animal of the same species.

● Pheromones are believed to play a role in signalling between members of the
same species to affect behaviour.

We haven’t yet found a human pheromone but psychologists believe that they
do exist and influence behaviour.

Question 2

STUDY 1

Answer 2

Lundstorm and Olsson

Question 3

Aim

Answer 3

to investigate the effect of androstadienone on the mood of women in the presence of men

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

+ 37 heterosexual women (mean age 28)
+ Female participants” mood was studied and then assessed after being exposed to androstadienone or a control solution in the presence of either a male or female experimenter
+ the experimenter carried out 1 questionnaire measuring mood

Question 5

Results

Answer 5

presence of androstadienone increased women’s mood while male experimenter was present but no effect of mood with female experimenter

Question 6

conclusion

Answer 6

androstadienone improves mood of women

Question 7

evaluation

Answer 7

concentration of AND was way higher than normal amount found in male sweat

male experimenter could have just been attractive

Question 8

STUDY 2

Answer 8

Hare et al

Question 9

information

Answer 9

if a chemical does not perform gender-signalling functions, chances are that it will not produce any other gender-related effects and so it is not a sex-pheromone

Question 10

Aim

Answer 10

to investigate whether Androstadienone and Estratetraenol- the best known candidates for human sex pheromones-signal gender and affect mate perception

Question 11

Procedure

Answer 11

+ repeated mesures design
+ heterosexual participants completed 2 computer-based tasks, twice on 2 consecutive days
+ while completing the tasks, on 1 of 2 days, they were exposed to the putative pheromone (Androstadienone or Estratetraenol) masked with clove oil.
+ on the other day, they were exposed to a control scent (just clove oil)
+ substances were administered by a cotton ball taped under the nose throughout the task
+ the design was counterbalanced (some participants had the pheromone on day 1 and control on day 2 and vice-versa)

+ the first computer-based task involved showing the participants 5 “gender-neutral facial morphs” and participants had to indicate the gender
+ in the 2nd task–> participants were shown opposite sex photographs and asked to rate them for attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 10

+the study was double blinded
+there was a male and female experimenter who alternated for different tasks

Question 12

Results

Answer 12

from 1st gender signalling task- no difference in gender assigned to the morphs in the pheromone vs control condition

from 2nd attractiveness task–> no difference in average rating of attractiveness of opposite-sex photos

Question 13

Conclusion

Answer 13

Androstadienone and Estratetraenol do not signal gender or attractiveness which means they do not qualify as a sex-pheromone

Question 14

evaluation

Answer 14

+ they tried to account for a range of behaviours
- concentrated on very specific behaviour
+tried to conduct in realistic setting
- experimental task was too artificial