3 ms·
Here you go (the original paper): http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1652/2715.short http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1652/27
by nandemo 17y ago
Here you go (the original paper):
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1652/2715.short http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1652/2715...
The newspaper misinterprets the study's conclusion. The study only says that pill affects odour preference and that "if odour plays a role in human mate choice, our results suggest that contraceptive pill use could disrupt disassortative mate preferences." Clearly, that's a big "if" and it doesn't seem to be discussed in the article.
PS: I live in Japan, and reading the newspaper my first thought was that at least there's some upside to the fact that Japanese women don't use the pill...
- jkincaid 17y agoIt's not that big an if — I'd be very surprised if odor played an insignificant role in attraction, especially given how important odors and pheromones are in other organisms. See http://www.ejog.org/article/S0301-2115(04)00474-9/abstract http://www.ejog.org/article/S0301-2115(04)00474-9/abstract if you are on a university campus (otherwise it won't let you access the full text).
- FlorinAndrei 17y agoShort term? (the "hookup phase") Maybe not, what with daily showers and deodorants and what not. Long term? It likely plays an important role.
- nazgulnarsil 17y agoI've heard it cited that marriage counselors very commonly hear "Can't stand the way they smell" as a complaint.