Abstract
Several constituents of human axillary secretions have been proposed as candidate human pheromones, but their influence on human behaviour remains controversial. Here we briefly review the literature on the behavioural effects of candidate compounds, noting that inconsistencies in findings could be due in part to the variation in experimental context and potential lack of ecological validity. We also report results of a pilot study which attempts to overcome these limitations in an ecologically-valid experimental paradigm: a speed-dating event. We tested the effects of 4,16-androstadien-3-one within a single speed-dating evening with 25 female and 22 male participants. We found a significant effect of androstadienone on female judgments of male attractiveness, which is consistent with the proposal that androstadienone could act as a modulatory pheromone in humans.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Chemical signals in vertebrates 11 |
Editors | Jane L. Hurst, Robert J. Beynon, S. Craig Roberts, Tristram D. Wyatt |
Place of Publication | New York |
Publisher | Springer |
Pages | 111-120 |
Number of pages | 9 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780387739458 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780387739441, 9781441925398 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | Chemical Signals in Vertebrates - University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom Duration: 24 Jul 2006 → 27 Jul 2006 Conference number: 11 |
Conference
Conference | Chemical Signals in Vertebrates |
---|---|
Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Chester |
Period | 24/07/06 → 27/07/06 |
Keywords
- Smell
- Pheromones