Study, 2014
Do women and men respond differently to sudden loud noises, and does the menstrual cycle matter?
The menstrual cycle affects how women respond to sudden loud sounds, but being female versus male alone does not clearly affect this.
What they did
Researchers tested 111 women not using hormonal contraceptives and 107 men. They measured how much people jumped or flinched at sudden loud noise and how emotions affected this response across the menstrual cycle.
What they found
There was no clear overall difference between men and women in startle response. Women showed increased startle response during the late luteal phase and during ovulation. The increase during late luteal phase likely reflects higher negative emotions at that time. The increase during ovulation might reflect increased hearing sensitivity.
What it means for you
Your menstrual cycle, more than being female, influences how you react to sudden sounds. This may connect to emotional changes during different cycle phases. The study does not explain why these differences occur.
111
Women without hormonal contraceptives
107
Men
About the study
- Original title
- The impact of sex and menstrual cycle on the acoustic startle response
- Authors
- Armbruster D, Strobel A, Kirschbaum C et al.
- Journal
- Behavioural brain research
- Year
- 2014
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 111
- What was tested
- Acoustic startle response testing
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.013
Topics
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