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The menstrual cycle, personality, and academic performance
Archives of General Psychiatry
|February 1, 1981
Summary
This study found no significant impact of the menstrual cycle on the examination performance of female students. While mood changes are common, intellectual performance remains unaffected for most students.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Medical Education
- Women's Health
Background:
- Menstrual cycle-related mood and behavioral changes are widely reported.
- However, evidence regarding effects on intellectual performance, particularly among students, is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of the menstrual cycle on the academic performance of female medical and paramedical students.
- To explore potential correlations between personality traits (extroversion, neuroticism) and menstrual cycle effects on examinations.
Main Methods:
- Examined academic results of 244 female students over one year.
- Administered the Eysenck Personality Inventory to assess personality characteristics.
- Analyzed examination scores based on personality profiles and menstrual cycle length (prolonged menses).
Main Results:
- No statistically significant menstrual cycle effects were detected on examination performance across all analyses.
- Neither high/low scores on personality scales nor prolonged menses correlated with significant changes in academic results.
Conclusions:
- Menstrual cycle variations do not appear to significantly impair the intellectual performance or examination outcomes for the majority of female students.
- Subjective complaints of mood changes do not translate to measurable deficits in academic achievement for this population.