Wedekind (1995) (Biological)

Question 1

Name and Year

Answer 1

Wedekind 1995

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

To investigate whether human body odors and female preferences are influenced by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes

Question 3

Research Method

Answer 3

Correlational study

Question 4

Sample

Answer 4

49 female and 44 male students from a university in Sweden

Question 5

Sample Collection Method

Answer 5

Volunteer sampling

Question 6

Procedure

Answer 6

1. Male participants wore a 100% cotton T-shirt for two nights in a row, refraining from consuming or applying any external substances to maintain natural body odor
2. The t-shirts were stored in identical boxes called “smelling holes”
3. Female participants (not on birth control) were asked to smell and rate each t-shirt’s odor on a criteria of intensity, pleasantness, and sexiness

Question 7

Results

Answer 7

Women not taking birth control preferred the scent of T-shirts worn by men with dissimilar MHC genes, suggesting that MHG dissimilarity may play a role in attraction and mate preference.

Question 8

Evaluation

Answer 8

Weaknesses:
- Reductionism (ignores sociocultural and cognitive factors)
- Sample may not be representative as they were all similar age and culture
- Highly artificial study
- Correlational (no cause and effect is established)

Positives:
- Replicable study (Supported by follow up research)
- Double blind (reduces demand characteristics)