Elsevier

Hormones and Behavior

Volume 32, Issue 3, December 1997, Pages 167-175
Hormones and Behavior

Regular Article
Differences in the Relationship of Menstrual Cycle Phase to Spatial Performance on Two- and Three-Dimensional Tasks,☆☆

https://doi.org/10.1006/hbeh.1997.1418Get rights and content

Abstract

Inverse activational effects of estrogen on spatial problem-solving performance in females have been amply demonstrated, although the findings across studies are somewhat inconsistent. In an attempt to resolve this ambiguity, the present study compared activational effects, using phases of the menstrual cycle as the criteria for estrogen levels, on two- and three-dimensional spatial tasks. As predicted, menstrual cycle effects were obtained for the latter category only. Results were interpreted as a function of the greater ecological validity of three-dimensional tasks.

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    This research was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    ☆☆

    L. BetzigM. B. MulderP. Turke, Eds.

    2

    To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, North York, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada. Fax: (416) 736-5814. E-mail: [email protected].

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