Fear recognition across the menstrual cycle
Abstract
This study assesses the mediating role of stage of menstrual cycle in the recognition of emotional expressions. It was hypothesised that fear recognition ability would be stronger at high-oestrogen stages of the menstrual cycle. The accuracy of recognising emotional expressions was compared across 50 women who were at different stages of their menstrual cycle. It was found that accuracy to recognise emotions was significantly affected by the interaction between stages of the menstrual cycle and the emotion being displayed. Further analysis revealed that for the emotion expression of fear alone, participants were significantly more accurate at the preovulatory surge (highest oestrogen levels) than at menstruation (oestrogen levels at lowest point). The results have implications for the processes that underlie fear processing and a possible insight into the sexual dimorphism of this ability and conditions that show variations in fear recognition (e.g., autism, Turner syndrome).
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Phase in the menstrual cycle has important effects on emotional responding.
“Third, phase in menstrual cycle has been shown to have important effects on emotional responding (Amin, Epperson, Constable, & Canli, 2006; Goldstein et al., 2005; Pearson & Lewis, 2005; Protopopescu et al., 2005).”
From Gender Differences in Emotion Regulation: An fMRI Study of Cognitive Reappraisal (2008) · cites this paper as Pearson & Lewis, 2005
Cites
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Neuropsychology of fear and loathing
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“Individuals with Turner’s syndrome are at an increased risk of having autism (at least 200 times, Creswell and Skuse, 1999) and show impaired social abilities (Lawrence et al., 2003).”
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Gender Differences in Emotion Regulation: An fMRI Study of Cognitive Reappraisal
McRae, K., Ochsner, K. N., Mauss, I. B., Gabrieli, J. J. D., & Gross, J. J. (2008) · Group Processes & Intergroup Relations · doi:10.1177/1368430207088035 · Cited by 910 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Pearson, R., & Lewis, M. B.
- Affiliations
- Cardiff University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Lewis, Michael B.
- Venue
- Hormones and Behavior
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2005-03
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 267-271
- ISSN
- 0018-506X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2011520426
- Cited by
- 132
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 2.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Hormones and Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Explore Bristol Research (publishedVersion)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Keywords
- fear recognition, menstrual cycle, estrogen, emotional expression recognition, sex differences, preovulatory surge, menstruation, fear processing, autism spectrum disorder, Turner syndrome
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Estrogens, Facial Expression, Fear, Female, Follicular Phase, Humans, Luteal Phase, Menstrual Cycle, Menstruation, Ovulation, Recognition, Psychology
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