Do women feel worse to look their best? Testing the relationship between self-esteem and fertility status across the menstrual cycle.
Two studies measured self-esteem across the menstrual cycle to test the prediction that self-esteem will vary interindividually as a positive function of mate value and intraindividually as a negative function of fertility status. Study 1 (n = 52) found that self-esteem was positively related to mate value between women but that women experienced a self-esteem decrease nearest to ovulation, when women tend to be more attractive to men. Study 2 (n = 59) replicated these results and demonstrated that the self-esteem decrease at high fertility was positively related to women's reported long-term mating motivation. Additionally, the magnitude of the self-esteem decrease at high fertility was found to be related to increased willingness to spend money on items to enhance attractiveness at high fertility. A self-esteem decrease at high fertility may motivate mate value enhancement efforts when such efforts are most critical.
Hill
Sarah E
SE
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA. s.e.hill@tcu.edu
Durante
Kristina M
KM
D000293:Adolescent; D004954:Esthetics / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas; D055815:Young Adult