New study reveals what really turns men on
According to a recent study published in Psychological Science, men are attracted to the smell of a fertile woman.

The scientists behind this study took their cues from the animal kingdom, where previous studies indicate that mating rituals are influenced by scent signals released by the females. Male testosterone levels go up when females are ovulating, indicating the point at which they are most fertile.

Saul L. Miller and Jon K. Maner, psychological scientists from Florida State University wanted to know if similar behaviours could be found amongst human participants.

The study

To conduct the investigation the researchers led two studies. Women were told to wear tee shirts for three nights, each at different stages of their menstrual cycle. Male volunteers were then told to smell the tee shirts worn by the female subjects. Additionally, some of the male volunteers were given shirts that had not been worn by anyone.

Before and after sniffing the shirts, the male participants gave saliva samples for testosterone analysis.

Revealing findings

Results showed that the men who smelled the shirts worn by ovulating women experienced higher levels of testosterone than the men who smelled the shirts worn by non-ovulating women, as well as those who were given the control shirts, worn by no one.

And in addition to experiencing a testosterone-boost; the men rated the tee shirts worn by the ovulating women as being the most pleasant smelling.

“The present research is the first to provide direct evidence that olfactory cues to female ovulation influence biological responses in men," say the scientists.