Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Cognitive Science

New study finds enhanced originality of ideas in women during ovulation

by Eric W. Dolan
August 14, 2022
in Cognitive Science, Evolutionary Psychology, Social Psychology

[Follow PsyPost on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Women tend to generate more novel ideas during ovulation compared to non-fertile phases of their ovulatory cycle, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Psychology. The findings add to a growing body of research that indicates creativity plays a role in sexual selection.

“I am generally interested in evolutionary psychology, as it can explain the functionality of many of our traits,” said study author Katarzyna Galasinska, PhD candidate at the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw. “As humans, we had to develop qualities helping us to deal with survival and reproduction. It applies to both physical and psychological traits. We can easily infer that traits pointing to health and strength correspond to survival, but beauty is not required for survival. Instead, it can really upgrade our reproductive value, and due to that, all aspects associated with our mate value.”

“Creativity seems to be an ontologically old trait. It is defined as a capacity to make something new and useful, so it probably helped our ancestors to deal with survival. However, it is only the lower half of creativity that is associated with problem-solving and intellectual qualities. All the rest of creativity has strong connectivity with beauty. And that means, it could be linked to reproduction, helping to attract mates.”

“As we can see, love can be really inspiring for artists,” Galasinska explained. “Of course, it is hard to prove that creativity evolved through sexual selection, as a sort of signal attracting mates’ attention. It surely found a lot of different applications across time. But if we assume such an explanation, we can look for evidence hypothesizing ‘what if’. And if studies confirm all these hypothetical situations, we can trust our assumptions more.”

“So, if creativity has developed as a signal for mates, it should be enhanced for example during the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle in women. And this is what I tried to solve in my studies. I have already showed this effect in my previous study using self-reporting ovulatory cycle data. In this latest study, I used more reliable measures of the cycle phase to be sure of its relevance. However, there are many more situations to explore, also associated with intrasexual competition.”

In her previous work, Galasinska found that the originality of women’s ideas increased as the probability of conception increased during the ovulation cycle. However, in that study, the participants reported the first day of their last period and the researchers used that information to estimate the current cycle phase.

In their new study, the researchers used more reliable measures (saliva- and urine-based test kits) to determine menstrual cycle phases in 72 women between the ages of 18 and 35. The participants were not pregnant, breast feeding, or using hormonal contraceptives.

The participants completed validated measures of creativity during the follicular, ovulatory, and late luteal phases of their menstrual cycle. One creativity assessment was the Alternative Uses Test, in which the women were asked to list as many alternative uses as possible for an everyday object. Their ideas were then scored by four trained, independent raters. The other assessment was the Remote Associates Test, in which the participants were shown three words and asked to come up with a fourth word related to all of them.

In line with the previous study, the researchers found that ideas generated during the Alternative Uses Test tended to be the most original during the ovulatory phase. The results provide additional evidence that “women’s fertility may be associated with mental abilities such as creativity,” Galasinska told PsyPost.

“So, maybe monitoring the ovulatory cycle can help women understand their mentality and to resonate with it. In this view, all fertility-altering agents should be treated with caution. In one of my previous studies, I tested creativity in women taking contraception and I found no changes across the cycle. Furthermore, the originality of ideas among these women was lower compared to naturally cycling women.”

On a broader level, the findings also indicate that “creativity may be associated with mating, helping women to attract potential mates,” Galasinska said. “Other studies showed that both sexes value creativity in a potential partner and I showed that it can be a sort of a tactic. Specifically, being original may be functional in this context.”

But fertility was not associated with scores on the Remote Associates Test — which measures a type of creativity known as convergent thinking.

“We need many more studies to indicate that creativity may be an adaptation to mating,” Galasinska said. “It should be tested in many contexts associated with increased mating motivation, such as attraction to a partner or rivalry for a partner, both in women and men.”

“We also still don’t know the mechanism of enhanced creativity during ovulation. I tried to look for arousal or mood as mediating variables, but found no effects. Hormonal studies would also be enriching. Evolutionary psychology provides explanations as to why the phenomenon probably occurred in our past, but it does not prevent us from looking for factors that can promote it here and now.”

The study, “Enhanced Originality of Ideas in Women During Ovulation: A Within-Subject Design Study“, was authored by Katarzyna Galasinska and Aleksandra Szymkow.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePin2Send
Previous Post

Integration of psychedelic experiences linked to self-actualization via improvements in personal development and self-insight

Next Post

Neuroimaging study finds people who exercise more display an elevated brain response to reward

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

Scientists raise concerns about the potential link between chronic microdosing of psychedelics and valvular heart disease

Anxiously attached individuals have stronger cortisol reactivity when anticipating a conflict with a partner

Study suggests lack of positive feelings during social interactions could help explain isolation in people with suicidality

New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

Interesting link between self-alienation and death anxiety uncovered by new psychology research

Genetics and concussion – why a minor knock can be devastating for some people

RECENT

New study shines a light on men’s unconscious attraction to fertility cues in women’s faces

Genetics and concussion – why a minor knock can be devastating for some people

Interesting link between self-alienation and death anxiety uncovered by new psychology research

Lifestyle pages on Facebook are a significant contributor to the spread of fake news, study finds

Shy teens with shy best friends might be more prone to depression, study finds

Single-session exposure therapy: A game-changer for phobia treatment?

Scientists raise concerns about the potential link between chronic microdosing of psychedelics and valvular heart disease

Anxiously attached individuals have stronger cortisol reactivity when anticipating a conflict with a partner

Currently Playing

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Body Image and Body Dysmorphia
New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

Narcissism
Unintended pregnancies take a toll on the mental health of new fathers

Unintended pregnancies take a toll on the mental health of new fathers

Mental Health
New study provides insight into the psychological core of dark personality traits

Four distinct trajectories of psychopathic traits identified among youth in the legal system

Psychopathy
Social working memory abnormalities may be a neurocognitive mechanism underlying poorer social connection in PTSD

Exposure to wood smoke leads to complex and long-lasting neuroinflammatory and neurometabolomic alterations

Mental Health
People who were better supervised by parents as early adolescents tend to have higher earnings as adults

People who were better supervised by parents as early adolescents tend to have higher earnings as adults

Business
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist