Zhou et al (2014)

Question 1

Where can the study be used? (1)

Answer 1

How pheromones may play a role in human behavior?

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

To see if these substances influenced human sexual behaviour

Question 3

Participants

Answer 3

Sample of 96 P: 24 heterosexual men, 24 heterosexual women, 24 gay men and 24 lesbian women

Question 4

Method

Answer 4

P asked to watch stick figures walk on a screen and determine their gender while being exposed to the smell of cloves
* 3 conditions:
* condition 1: cloves mixed with androstadienone (male steroid found in semen and sweat)
* condition 2: cloves mixed with estratetraenol
* control: only cloves

Question 5

Results

Answer 5

• smelling androstadienone: biased heterosexual females and gay males but not heterosexual men toward percieving the walkers as more masculine
• smelling estratetraenol: biased heterosexual males and lesbian women toward percieving the walkers as more feminine

Question 6

Strengths (3)

Answer 6

• highly standardised procedure: makes the study easy to replicate
• sample considers different sexual orientation
  
  • representative -› better sample
• control condition

Question 7

Limitations

Answer 7

• low ecological validity: P were exposed to very high levels of pheromones
  
  • unclear that this response would happen in a naturalistic setting
• construct validity: identification of masculine or feminine is not a clear study of sexual odour rather what participants percieve a person’s walk as
  
  • debatable whether this is a reliable measure of sexual behaviour