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Do women prefer more complex music around ovulation?
Benjamin D Charlton1, Piera Filippi, W Tecumseh Fitch
1Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. benjamin.charlton@univie.ac.at
Plos One
|May 5, 2012
Summary
Women generally prefer complex music, but this preference does not increase during ovulation. This finding challenges the sexual selection hypothesis for the evolution of music, suggesting other factors may be involved.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Music cognition
- Human behavior
Background:
- The evolutionary origins of music are debated.
- One theory suggests music evolved through sexual selection, similar to animal courtship displays.
- This hypothesis predicts women's preference for complex music increases during peak fertility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if women's preference for musical complexity changes with their ovulatory cycle.
- To investigate the role of sexual selection in the evolution of music.
Main Methods:
- Participants listened to computer-generated musical pieces.
- Ovulation predictor kits were used to track participants' fertile periods.
- Preference ratings for musical complexity were collected.
Main Results:
- Women generally showed a preference for more complex music.
- No significant increase in preference for complex music was observed around ovulation.
- The findings do not support the sexual selection hypothesis regarding female preference.
Conclusions:
- The study does not support the hypothesis that women's heightened preference for complex music during ovulation influenced music's evolution.
- Future research should explore other evolutionary pathways for music.
- Sexual selection may not be the primary driver for the evolution of music.
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