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Study, 2002

Does how women perceive men change during the menstrual cycle?

Yes. During the high-fertility phase of the cycle, women showed an enhanced ability to notice male characteristics and remember stereotypical information about men.

Moderate study design Women (sample size not specified)

What they did

Women completed perception and memory tasks to see if they could categorize men and remember male-related information differently at different phases of their cycle.

What they found

During the phase of high conception risk, women displayed an enhanced ability both to categorize men and to access stereotypic material about men from memory.

What it means for you

The menstrual cycle affects how women process information about men at a cognitive level. The study abstract does not specify how many women participated, their age, or how long the study lasted.

About the study

Original title
Person perception across the menstrual cycle: hormonal influences on social-cognitive functioning
Authors
Macrae CN, Alnwick KA, Milne AB et al.
Journal
Psychological science
Year
2002
Study design
Study

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