Digit ratio does not predict attractiveness of body odor

The mixture of androstenol and androsterone in Scent of Eros products increases observed flirtatious behaviors and women’s ratings of attraction to a man by enhancing the affect of natural variations in adult circulating testosterone levels. Simply put, it makes a man smell like he has a higher adult circulating testosterone level.

Digit ratio (2D:4D) predicts facial, but not voice or body odour, attractiveness in men

Abstract excerpt:  “The results were interpreted in terms of differential effects of prenatal and circulating testosterone, male facial shape being supposedly more dependent on foetal levels (reflected by 2D:4D ratio), whereas body odour and vocal characteristics could be more dependent on variation in adult circulating testosterone levels.”

Ethics, aphrodisiacs, and pheromones

Q. What is the difference between an aphrodisiac and an effect of chemicals that cause sexual excitement? Should an ethical “line” be drawn in terms of what changes can be deliberately brought about in another person as a way to accomplish some goal?

A. The cosmetic industry has set the standard, albeit with products that elicit affects on behavior via some unknown mechanism, which is not modeled in any other animal species. To some sensory psychologists, human visual appeal simply exists in the absence of any biological basis. In constrast, the behavior of other animals is driven by the effect of pheromones on hormones. Because the biologically based effects of pheromones on hormones is modeled across all animal species, it is extremely likely that pheromone-enhanced products have even more potent affects on behavior than does visual enhancement.

Meanwhile, cosmetic industry experts and most people accept modulation of the perception of biologically important signals when attempts are made to enhance visual appeal. But, since no one has drawn the line at breast augmentation or labiaplasty, I’m not likely to draw the line on goal-seeking via pheromone-enhancement. That would be like telling people not to use spices to increase the appeal of food, or not to develop pheromones for use as non-invasive therapy that replaces neural stem cell transplants into the brain of people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.

Androstenone odor is less unpleasant for some women

Pleasantness of the Odor of Androstenone as a Function of Sexual Intercourse Experience in Women and Men

Of  187 women who could detect the odor of androstenone, 12 had no sexual experience.

“…women who had experienced sexual intercourse with at least one partner rated the odor of androstenone as less unpleasant than did women without this experience.”

“Genes (are not) Activated by Sound!”

Snap, Crackle, Pop: The ridiculous proposal that genes are activated by sound dissolves into the background noise of unintelligent and unrealistic expectations inspired by journalism for the masses: Female flies’ immune genes turned on by males’ song

On October 9th, 2011, the human-ethology group’s moderator: Jay R. Feierman, announced: “Genes Activated by Sound!”in the title of his post. This is the most blatant misrepresentation of facts I have seen by someone who knows it is a misrepresentation.

Genes cannot be activated by sound! There is no sensory pathway that could allow it. The abstract of the article helps to clarify the reality that Feierman denies, if only by default. “These changes were modest in both the number of genes involved and fold-changes, but notably dominated by antennal signalling genes involved in olfaction as well as neuropeptides and immune response genes.” (more…)

Olfactory/pheromonal conditioning of stimulus-reaction times

Researchers find that the brain smells what it expects rather than what it sniffs (w/ video)

(Medical Xpress) — “In the moments before you “stop and smell the roses,” it’s likely your brain is already preparing your sensory system for that familiar floral smell. New research from Northwestern Medicine offers strong evidence that the brain uses predictive coding to generate “predictive templates” of specific smells — setting up a mental expectation of a scent before it hits your nostrils.” (more…)