Survey study, 2019
Do women feel worse after social rejection during the luteal phase, and does progesterone protect against it?
Women felt worse mood after being socially excluded, and this effect was stronger during the luteal phase than the late follicular phase. Higher progesterone levels were linked with less distress from exclusion, suggesting progesterone may buffer against the pain of rejection.
What they did
Cross-sectional study. Forty-nine naturally cycling women played a virtual ball-tossing game designed to manipulate social inclusion and exclusion during both their late follicular and luteal phases. Researchers measured salivary progesterone levels and mood after each game session using a validated mood questionnaire.
What they found
Women showed worse mood following exclusion compared to inclusion (p=0.014). The negative effect of exclusion was more pronounced during the luteal phase than the late follicular phase (p=0.029). As expected, progesterone was higher during the luteal phase. Higher progesterone concentrations were negatively associated with the negative effects of social exclusion.
What it means for you
Women may be more sensitive to social exclusion during the luteal phase, but progesterone appears to protect against the emotional harm of being rejected. The main limits are the single-timepoint design and that we cannot confirm whether these findings apply to real-world rejection or specifically to women with PMDD.
49
women studied
0.014
p-value for mood difference between inclusion and exclusion
0.029
p-value for phase difference in exclusion effect
About the study
- Original title
- Increased sensitivity to social exclusion during the luteal phase: Progesterone as resilience factor buffering against ostracism?
- Authors
- Lobmaier JS, Probst F, Lory V et al.
- Journal
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Virtual ball-tossing game with inclusion and exclusion conditions
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.05.019
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