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

Study: Women evaluate partners more negatively when estrogen is elevated — and men know it

by Eric W. Dolan
February 15, 2020
in Social Psychology
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay informed on the latest psychology and neuroscience research—follow PsyPost on LinkedIn for daily updates and insights.

New research provides evidence that natural fluctuations in women’s hormones are not only associated with their own psychology, but also their partner’s perception and well-being.

The study, published in Biological Psychology, was the first to examine how the rise and fall of women’s hormones during the menstrual cycle impacts their partners’ feelings and perceptions.

“Hormones have an underappreciated effect on behavior. This is true for men and women, just as it’s true for animals of other species,” said study author Francesca Righetti, an associate professor at VU Amsterdam.

“Researchers have begun to explore how the hormonal variations that naturally and reliably occur across the ovulatory cycle – specifically, variation in the hormones estradiol and progesterone – affect how women think and feel.”

“But less work has examined how variation in hormones affect both members of a relationship. Given our interests in romantic relationships, we aimed to better understand what aspects of romantic relationships vary as a function of these hormones, and which do not.”

The researchers collected urine samples from 33 women for 15 days to measure changes in estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels. During these 15 days, the women and their male partner also completed nightly surveys regarding their relationship satisfaction, perceptions of their partner, and other factors.

All of the relationships had lasted for more than 4 months and none of the women were using hormonal contraception.

Righetti and her colleagues found that both women and their partners evaluated their relationships more negatively on days in which women had higher estradiol levels. As estradiol increased, women also evaluated their partner as less physically attractive.

“Women’s hormone levels change across their ovulatory cycles, and these changes are likely to affect their psychology and, perhaps, the way they feel toward their romantic partner. We found that the hormone that peaks just prior to ovulation, estradiol, was associated with more negative partner evaluation,” Righetti told PsyPost.

Women’s estradiol levels were also associated with their partners’ self-reported well-being. “Men also perceived their partner to be less satisfied when estradiol was high and, consequently, they experienced lower well-being,” Righetti said.

Despite the changes in sexual attraction, however, hormonal fluctuations were not associated with having sexual intercourse .

“We’d like to emphasize that our study investigated changes within couples. Some relationships are especially good, and some relationships are especially bad,” Righetti said.

“Changes in naturally varying hormones aren’t going to turn a bad relationship into a good one, or a good relationship into a bad one. But they might influence some subtle changes within a relationship – like adding some minor turbulence to what is a great relationship on the whole, or temporarily making things a little nicer for a relationship that is pretty rocky.”

The study — like all research — includes some limitations.

“Given the difficulties in recruiting couples under 40 not not using hormonal contraception, our sample size is rather small, and replication is needed to ensure the robustness of the findings,” Righetti explained.

It is also unclear why higher levels of estradiol were associated with reduced relationship satisfaction among women.

“Evolutionary theories have suggested that, when women are ovulating, they may be especially tuned into other men (e.g., men with good genetic qualities), and that’s why they distance themselves from their primary long-term partner. Our data weren’t totally consistent with this perspective, though, since estradiol was not associated with the degree to which women reported flirting and giving more attention to other men,” Righetti said.

“But this may be due to the fact that, given our small sample, our female participants may not have encountered many attractive men during the duration of the studies. On the contrary, it may be that evolution has shaped women to pre-emptively disengage from their partner close to ovulation to be open and attentive to identify alternative partners that may be especially good reproductive partners.”

The study, “How reproductive hormonal changes affect relationship dynamics for women and men: A 15-day diary study“, was authored by Francesca Righetti, Josh Tybur, Paul Van Lange, Lea Echelmeyer, Stefanievan Esveld, Janique Kroese, Joycevan Brecht, and Steven Gangestad.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin2ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

New psychology study: Inner reasons for seeking romance are a top predictor of finding it
Sexism

People’s ideal leader isn’t hyper-masculine — new study shows preference for androgynous traits

July 18, 2025

People tend to picture ideal leaders as highly competent and caring—qualities often linked to both men and women. A new study suggests that aspirational leadership norms may help shift perceptions away from outdated gender stereotypes.

Read moreDetails
New psychology study: Inner reasons for seeking romance are a top predictor of finding it
Dating

New psychology study: Inner reasons for seeking romance are a top predictor of finding it

July 18, 2025

Think pressure to find a partner will help your search? Think again. New psychology research suggests motivations based on avoiding shame or meeting others' expectations are ineffective. Genuinely valuing connection is what actually predicts finding a relationship down the line.

Read moreDetails
Women favor men with attractive faces when making social bargaining decisions
Attractiveness

Women favor men with attractive faces when making social bargaining decisions

July 16, 2025

New research shows that women are more likely to accept offers from men with attractive faces and positive social interest in economic games, highlighting how appearance and perceived friendliness can influence fairness judgments in social decision-making.

Read moreDetails
Trump’s speeches stump AI: Study reveals ChatGPT’s struggle with metaphors
Artificial Intelligence

Trump’s speeches stump AI: Study reveals ChatGPT’s struggle with metaphors

July 15, 2025

Can an AI understand a political metaphor? Researchers pitted ChatGPT against the speeches of Donald Trump to find out. The model showed moderate success in detection but ultimately struggled with context, highlighting the current limits of automated language analysis.

Read moreDetails
Daughters who feel more attractive report stronger, more protective bonds with their fathers
Social Media

Moral outrage spreads petitions online—but doesn’t always inspire people to sign them

July 15, 2025

Posts expressing moral outrage were more likely to go viral but did not lead to more petition signatures, while posts using agentic, group identity, or prosocial language attracted more signatures despite receiving less online engagement.

Read moreDetails
Dark personality traits linked to “social zapping”: New study examines people who cancel plans at the last minute
Narcissism

Narcissistic individuals are more prone to maladaptive daydreaming

July 14, 2025

A new study suggests that narcissistic personality traits are linked to maladaptive daydreaming, with psychological defense mechanisms playing a key role in the relationship. The findings highlight how different defense styles may influence a person’s tendency to escape into fantasy.

Read moreDetails
Daughters who feel more attractive report stronger, more protective bonds with their fathers
Artificial Intelligence

People who use AI may pay a social price, according to new psychology research

July 14, 2025

Worried that using AI tools like ChatGPT at work makes you look lazy? New research suggests you might be right. A study finds employees who use AI are often judged more harshly, facing negative perceptions about their competence and effort.

Read moreDetails
New research shows the psychological toll of the 2024 presidential election
Anxiety

New research shows the psychological toll of the 2024 presidential election

July 13, 2025

Among young adults, stress from election news was linked to higher risks of depression and anxiety, while pre-election anticipatory stress was linked to depression only. Stress about the election outcome was not associated with either condition.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Key Alzheimer’s protein found at astonishingly high levels in healthy newborns

People’s ideal leader isn’t hyper-masculine — new study shows preference for androgynous traits

Chronic pain rewires how the brain processes punishment, new research suggests

Common antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs tied to major shifts in gut microbiome composition

New psychology study: Inner reasons for seeking romance are a top predictor of finding it

Scientists demonstrate that “AI’s superhuman persuasiveness is already a reality”

Cannabis alternative 9(R)-HHC may be as potent as THC, study in mice suggests

A single dose of lamotrigine causes subtle changes in emotional memory

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

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

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy