Pheromones are chemical substances secreted externally to cause a change in the reproductive behavior of another person and can directly stimulate a man's sexual behavior through olfactory sensors processing information. Either the olfactory epithelium or the vomeronasal organ, which is located in the nose and conveys messages to the higher cortical regions of the brain, potentially could mediate pheromone signals.
However, SFSU researchers hypothesize that the olfactory epithelium is the most likely site. Lisa Pitino, a graduate student in psychology, conducted this research with McCoy in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for her masters degree.
Ive always been interested in subconscious signals between men and women and how they can affect sexual chemistry, said Pitino. This was an opportunity for me to study this phenomenon scientifically.
The study was conducted for 14 weeks in 2000. Thirty-six women were recruited on campus through psychology and human sexuality classes and asked to participate in an experiment described as testing a pheromone that would increase romance in their lives. The criteria for participation called for women who were heterosexual, regularly menstruating, neither married nor co-habiting with a man, not currently using an oral contraceptive and in good health.
Women between the ages of 19 and 48 took part in the study. The ethnic backgrounds of the women were white, Filipina, Latina, Portugese, Chinese, Brazilian, Native American, Mexican, Japanese, Jewish and Hispanic.
The women first recorded baseline information everyday for two weeks on seven sociosexual behaviors: petting/affection/kissing; sleeping next to a romantic partner; sexual intercourse; formal dates; informal dates; the number of times a man approached her; and masturbation. The
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Contact: Norma McCoy
mccoy@sfsu.edu
650-493-1457
San Francisco State University
20-Mar-2002