pheromones

Question 1

pheromones

Answer 1

• chemical messengers released by one individual to elicit a certain behavior or psychological response from an individual of the same species
• short term response: repelling or attracting individuals
• long lasting response: hormonal changes in behavior or development

Question 2

evidence for pheromones

Answer 2

• preference of the oder of men compatible with immune system genetics

Question 3

evidence against pheromones

Answer 3

• lack of functional VNO (or ham of olfactory system that allows animals to perceive pheromones) in adult humans

Question 4

Wedkin et al (1995) - natural experiment

Answer 4

• to see if MHC genes influence attraction through the sense of smell
• participants were selected due to their variety of MHC genes- Men wore t-shirts fr 2 days and women were asked to smell them and rate them (during their ovulation period). they rated them for pleasantness. sexiness, and intensity. they smelled from men with similar and different MHC genes
• women preferred the scents of t-shirts worn by men with MHC genes different from their own since they are attracted to males who can give them a healthy offspring