| Title: | Exposure to female fertility pheromones influences men's drinking |
| Address: | "Department of Psychology, University of South Florida" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1936-2293 (Electronic) 1064-1297 (Print) 1064-1297 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Research has shown that humans consciously use alcohol to encourage sexual activity. In the current study, we investigated whether decision making about alcohol use and sex can be cued outside of awareness by recently revealed sexual signaling mechanisms. Specifically, we examined if males exposed without their knowledge to pheromones emitted by fertile females would increase their alcohol consumption, presumably via neurobehavioral information pathways that link alcohol to sex and mating. We found that men who smelled a T-shirt worn by a fertile female drank significantly more (nonalcoholic) beer, and exhibited significantly greater approach behavior toward female cues, than those who smelled a T-shirt worn by a nonfertile female. These findings reveal previously unknown influences on human alcohol consumption, augment the research base for pheromone cuing of sexual behavior in humans, and raise the possibility that other, as yet unknown, pathways of behavioral influence may be operating hidden from view" |
| Keywords: | Adult *Alcohol Drinking Cues Decision Making Female *Fertility Humans Male *Pheromones/metabolism Photic Stimulation Reaction Time/physiology Sex Attractants/*physiology Sexual Behavior Smell/*physiology Surveys and Questionnaires Young Adult; |
| Notes: | "MedlineTan, Robin Goldman, Mark S eng R01 AA016091/AA/NIAAA NIH HHS/ R01AA016091/AA/NIAAA NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural 2015/06/09 Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015 Jun; 23(3):139-46. doi: 10.1037/pha0000016" |
