Department of Psychology, University of Zadar, Croatia.
Psychiatr Danub. 2012 Mar;24(1):73-9.
It has been reported that high levels of sex hormones improve the efficiency in tasks which are usually better performed by females. In contrast, in tasks which are usually better performed by males, the best efficiency corresponds to low levels of sex hormones. The aim of this study was to examine changes of efficiency in tasks of verbal fluency and mental rotations, as well as changes in masculinity and femininity during the menstrual cycle.
Seventeen female subjects with a regular menstrual cycle took part in the study. For assesssments of masculinity and femininity, the subjects filled the Bem's Sex Roles Inventory. Endler's Anxiety Scale was used for determining the autonomic-emotional and cognitive-worry components of anxiety. Subjects performed the verbal fluency task and mental rotations tasks during the menstrual and the early follicular phase, as well as during the pre-ovulation and the midluteal phase.
The results showed the best performance in mental rotation tasks which included rotations of three-dimensional objects along x and y axis during the phases of menstrual cycle, which are characterized by a low level of sex hormones. The most pronounced during these phases was also the masculinity. Furthermore, the best performance in verbal fluency task occurred during the menstrual and midluteal phase. Anxiety and femininity did not change across the menstrual cycle.
Low levels of sex hormones potentiated the typical male cognitive profile.
有报道称，高水平的性激素可提高通常由女性完成的任务的效率。相反，在通常由男性完成的任务中，最佳效率对应于低水平的性激素。本研究旨在检查言语流畅性和心理旋转任务的效率变化，以及在月经周期中男性化和女性化的变化。
17 名具有规律月经周期的女性受试者参加了研究。为了评估男性化和女性化，受试者填写了 Bem 的性别角色量表。使用 Endler 的焦虑量表来确定焦虑的自主情感和认知担忧成分。受试者在月经和卵泡早期、排卵前和黄体中期进行言语流畅性任务和心理旋转任务。
结果表明，在月经周期中激素水平较低的阶段，三维物体沿 x 和 y 轴的旋转的心理旋转任务表现最佳。在这些阶段，男性化也最为明显。此外，言语流畅性任务在月经和黄体中期表现最佳。焦虑和女性化在月经周期中没有变化。
低水平的性激素增强了典型的男性认知特征。
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