Editor’s Note: Speaking as one whose hobby is sniffing women, I whole-nosedly endorse this finding of several eminent scientists. -efc
Scent of a woman: Men’s testosterone responses to olfactory ovulation cues
Jan. 13, 2010 — Women around the world spend billions of dollars each year on exotic smelling perfumes and lotions in the hopes of attracting a mate. However, according to a new study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, going “au natural” may be the best way to capture a potential mate’s attention.
Smells are known to be critical to animal mating habits: Animal studies have shown that male testosterone levels are influenced by odor signals emitted by females, particularly when they are ovulating (that is, when they are the most fertile). Psychological scientists Saul L. Miller and Jon K. Maner from Florida State University wanted to see if a similar response occurs in humans. In two studies, women wore tee shirts for 3 nights during various phases of their menstrual cycles. Male volunteers smelled one of the tee shirts that had been worn by a female participant. In addition, some of the male volunteers smelled control tee shirts that had not been worn by anyone. Saliva samples for testosterone analysis were collected before and after the men smelled the shirts.
Results revealed that men who smelled tee shirts of ovulating women subsequently had higher levels of testosterone than men who smelled tee shirts worn by non-ovulating women or men who smelled the control shirts. In addition, after smelling the shirts, the men rated the odors on pleasantness and rated the shirts worn by ovulating women as the most pleasant smelling.
The authors note that “the present research is the first to provide direct evidence that olfactory cues to female ovulation influence biological responses in men.” In other words, this study suggests that testosterone levels may be responsive to smells indicating when a woman is fertile. The authors conclude that this biological response may promote mating-related behavior by males.
Provided by Association for Psychological Science
All you women out there, have you ever noticed that all men look and smell better when you are ovulating? Even Quasimodo has a certain je ne sais quoi when I am ovulating, and the men I find attractive are devastatingly so. And if I am lucky enough to have one of my own at the time, he basically gets no sleep four a four day time span.
Let’s face it, it’s all about sex, even when we don’t think it is.
And sex is all about. . . ?
Let’s face it, it’s all about sex, even when we don’t think it is.,/i>
And sex is all about. . . ?
This fits in with other studies that have shown that heterosexual men are more attracted to women who have other physical signs of high levels of estradiol (the primary estrogen manufactured by the ovaries, which is at its peak during ovulation). These signs include glowing skin, bright eyes (due to increased moisture), full breasts, shiny abundant scalp hair, a waistline significantly smaller than hipline, and a number of other less obvious, but important cues, such as welcoming behavior and upbeat expression (estradiol is typically a mood elevator).
This is the basis for billions of dollars spent on moisturizer, eye drops, padded bras, hair care products and diet plans. Let’s face it, it’s all about sex, even when we don’t think it is.
I’m recalling another man-sniffing study I read years ago had men wearing the t-shirt and women could sniff out their mates t-shirt 100% of the time.
Amazing naked apes we are.
Eric – this is great, thank you.
Amanda,
Thank you and please allow me to affirm what you added (read about it too).
One does not have to be Proust (or Gandalf) to know that the nose knows. The olifactory senses are processed on a different (and more advanced) neuron pathway as compared to sight, sound, touch, etc. It’s a different (albeit parallax) perspective -just ask a hound dog.
from the man-sniffing department:
i recollect seeing something on tv a few years ago of an olfactory/biology phenomenon in women in response to men. apparently there are studies suggesting that in blind sniffs, women tend to be most attracted to/aroused by the scents of men with different ethinic heritage from their own. it’s apparently mother nature’s little way of helping to prevent hereditary defects, etc, by making sure the gene pool gets stirred up a little.
of course, social conditioning to look for a mate within an ethnic community compromises this a bit. and the use of aftershave and heavily-scented deodorants by men can mask the natural scents. then the power of scent to trigger emotional memory gets into the mix: apparently the nostalgia associated with, say, dad’s aftershave for example, can draw a woman to a man and trigger a positive emotional response.
sounds like we’d all be be best off to eschew the perfume and just follow our noses! that is, if our intention is to procreate… which it may not always be.
— amanda p.