The Effects of Ovulatory Cycle on Women's Clothing Preferences

• Main Authors: LI, Norman P., DURANTE, Kristina M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2005
• Subjects: menstrual cycle; ovulation; clothing; female sexuality; sociosexuality; Gender and Sexuality; Social Psychology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/888
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Because the costs of pregnancy and nursing are high for women, and offspring require significant resources, a long-term mating strategy is generally more reproductively beneficial for women than a short-term strategy (i.e., sex with no commitment) is (e.g., Buss & Schmitt, 1993). However, there may be specific conditions or situations in which the reproductive benefits of short-term mating outweigh the costs. Obtaining better genes is a viable strategy when conception is likely. Because conception is most likely to occur around the time of ovulation, the point at which a woman is in her menstrual cycle may be a relevant factor in determining the potential reproductive benefits of a short-term mating strategy. One way to signal short-term availability may be to wear more revealing clothing (Grammer, 1996). The current study sheds light on whether women's clothing preferences are influenced by their ovulatory cycles as well as other variables that may interact with the menstrual cycle. We compare women's clothing preferences around the time of ovulation to preferences on days in which fertility is expected to be low.