Survey study, 1998
Does aggression change during different phases of the menstrual cycle?
No. Aggression rates did not change across different phases of the menstrual cycle, though women who reported more PMS symptoms showed higher aggression throughout their cycle compared to women with fewer symptoms.
What they did
Two groups of women participated in a study across one menstrual cycle. One group had few reported PMS symptoms, and one had many. On four different days (premenstrual, menstrual, early follicular, and ovulatory phases), women completed a laboratory test of aggression where they could choose to take money from an opponent.
What they found
Rates of aggressive responding did not vary across the four menstrual cycle phases. However, the group with more PMS symptoms showed higher rates of aggressive responding throughout their cycle than the low-symptom group. Aggression was linked to behavioral and psychological aspects of PMS, not to physical symptoms.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle phase itself does not make women more aggressive, but women who report more PMS symptoms may be more aggressive overall. A major limit is the very small sample of only 22 women.
22
women studied
4
menstrual cycle phases tested
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of menstrual cycle phase on aggression measured in the laboratory
- Authors
- Donald M. Dougherty, James Matthew Bjork, Don R. Cherek et al.
- Journal
- Aggressive Behavior
- Year
- 1998
- Study design
- Survey study
Topics
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