Fertility may influence appearance
By Diana Whitaker
Oct. 12, 2006 9:00 p.m.
Taking the time to put on makeup and dress attractively may be
biologically driven, a new UCLA and University of Wisconsin-Eau
Claire study suggests.
The study showed that women pay more attention to their
appearance near ovulation, when they are in their high-fertility
phase, said Martie Haselton, the study’s lead author and a
UCLA associate professor of communication studies and
psychology.
A sample of 30 females, comprised of UCLA staff and
undergraduate students, were selected in the study. All of the
participants reported regular menstrual cycles and said they were
involved in a committed romantic relationship with a man.
These women, unaware of the purpose of the study, posed for two
standing full-body photographs with their hands placed at their
sides. One photograph was taken on a high-fertility day of the
cycle and one on a low-fertility day of the cycle. The fertility
status was determined by taking urine samples and examining hormone
levels, which surge at mid-cycle, causing ovulation.
Judges were volunteers recruited by word-of-mouth from the UCLA
and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campuses. These judges, 17
men and 25 women, were blind to the fertility status of the
photographs and were asked, “In which photo is the person
trying to look more attractive?”
Black ovals covered the participants’ faces to prevent any
impact of facial expression, and judges made decisions based on the
attire the subjects chose to wear that day.
“Sixty percent of the time, the judges chose the
high-fertility photograph; this is statistically significant and
well beyond random chance,” Haselton said.
“Women were dressed pretty casually when they showed up to
the laboratory, but they were embellished a little bit in
high-fertility photographs. Women wore more jewelry; in several
cases, they wore lace tops, showed more skin, or had something
sparkly. … In general, the finding is that women dress a little
more fashionably on their high-fertility days,” she said.
Some students said they did not notice dressing differently at
different times throughout the month, and attributed their clothing
and makeup decisions to other factors.
“I think it’s more of a personal preference. Some
people, no matter where they’re going, whether it’s to
the market or the club, are dressed fashionably, and some people
don’t feel like they need to take the time to do extra stuff
when they’re in public,” said Nicole Greco, a
third-year women’s studies and film and television
student.
First-year Southeast Asian Studies student Loan Hoang said she
does not put consistent effort into her appearance.
“I feel motivated at different times of the month, but it
also depends on time; if I’m running late then I won’t
(put in extra effort),” she said.
Jamie Hernandez, a fourth-year sociology student, suggested
first impressions as another motivation to look good in public.
“I probably tried more in the beginning of the year to
dress up more and wear more makeup to class for first
impressions,” she said. “(During) my first year I put
in more effort, but now it depends on if I have time to get ready.
… But during midterms and finals, I don’t.”
Other studies have shown that women’s clothing choices are
linked with their motivations, and on high-fertility days of their
cycle women report a greater desire to go out to clubs and parties
where they might meet men, Haselton said.
Hernandez said she believes both biological and non-biological
factors contribute to her clothing choices.
“Maybe I subconsciously thought that I might meet someone,
but it wasn’t really my main intention. … I don’t
think it applies wholly, but I could see how (fertility and
dressing habits) connect to the way I go about my routine,”
she said.
