September 1, 2013
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmOvulating Women Are Less Trusting
Women approaching peak fertility are more cautious when interacting with strangers
By Tori Rodriguez
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
When women approach their most fertile time of the month, they tend to prefer potential sexual partners with more outward signs of genetic fitness, such as facial symmetry, according to past research. Now scientists find that women behave differently toward strangers in a nonsexual context, too. A paper in the April Biological Psychology showed that women near ovulation were less willing to trust strangers in an investment game, especially if the strangers were male and even more so if they were attractive men. Higher levels of the hormone estradiol, which peaks just before ovulation, were associated with less trust—a sign that the women's heightened wariness has roots in the physiology of the menstrual cycle. The finding supports the idea that at ovulation, women may unconsciously temper their increased attraction to masculine men by interacting with them more cautiously.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
