The Effect of Menstrual Cycle Phases on Approach-Avoidance Behaviors in Women: Evidence from Conscious and Unconscious Processes

Abstract

The menstrual cycle affects women's emotional states, with estrogen and progesterone having predominant roles. However, it remains unclear whether the phases of the menstrual cycle also affect women's motivational behaviors. In this study, the main aim was to investigate how the menstrual cycle influences approach-avoidance behavior under conditions of conscious versus unconscious processing of emotions. Briefly, after recruitment by advertisement and screening with a menstrual cycle survey questionnaire, 27 naturally cycling, healthy women participated in an improved "manikin task" and were presented both positive and negative emotional stimuli during early follicular, late follicular, and mid-luteal phases. Estrogen and progesterone levels were measured. Women in the late follicular phase exhibited the shortest response times for approaching positive stimuli, while women in the mid-luteal phase exhibited the shortest response times for avoiding negative stimuli. Estrogen and progesterone levels significantly correlated with the speed of the approach-avoidance responses observed for the women, indicating the important role that sex hormones have in mediating emotionally motivated behavior. Overall, these findings suggest that the menstrual cycle has strong and specific influences on women's approach-avoidance behaviors that are in part mediated by estrogen and progesterone. By identifying characteristics of these behaviors in the late follicular and mid-luteal phases, greater insight can be provided to women regarding the physiological influences of the menstrual cycle on their personal growth and security.

Keywords: approach–avoidance behaviors; conscious processing; emotional stimuli; estrogen; menstrual cycle; progesterone; unconscious processing.

Figure 1

Experimental procedure in Experiment 1. A fixation point appeared either in the middle of the upper or the lower half of the screen for 600 ms. A self-face of the participant then appeared in the same position of the fixation point. At 750 ms after the appearance of the self-face, an emotional (positive or negative) picture was presented at the center of the screen (2500 ms). The self-face can be moved downward by pressing the “2” key and can be moved upward by pressing “8” key. Participants were instructed to move the self-face close to or away from the picture. All illustrations disappeared 500 ms after key press. The inter-trial interval was 1500 ms.

Figure 2

Experimental procedure in Experiment 2. The procedure used was similar to that for Experiment 1, except the subjects were required to make an approach–avoidance response based on judging whether there was a person in the picture.

Figure 3

Levels of estradiol and progesterone in saliva, across the menstrual cycle. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. *** p < 0.001.

Figure 4

Reaction time of the improved “manikin task” across the cycle phases in Experiment 1. Left: the reaction time of women performing approach–avoidance behavior to a positive emotional picture across the cycle phases. Right: the reaction time of women performing approach–avoidance behavior to a negative emotional picture across the cycle phases. Mean RT above bar. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. *** p < 0.001; ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05.

Figure 5

Correlation scatter plots between sex hormone levels (left: estradiol; right: progesterone) and reaction time in Experiment 1.

Figure 6

Reaction time of the improved “manikin task” across the cycle phases in Experiment 2. Left: the reaction time of women performing approach–avoidance behavior to a positive emotional picture across the cycle phases. Right: the reaction time of women performing an approach–avoidance behavior to a negative emotional picture across the cycle phases. Mean RT above bar. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. *** p < 0.001; ** p < 0.01.