Do Pretty Women Cause Men's Mouths To Water? Courting Behavior Spikes Testosterone In Saliva, Study Finds

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By Chris Weller | Jul 16, 2013 

 

To all the slack-jawed, incredulous men of the world, hear this: science knows why you’re drooling over the woman who just walked by. Research from the University of Chicago shows that when a man is attracted to a woman, his saliva production increases and contains greater traces of testosterone.

 

Published the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, the study examined the ways in which heterosexual students in their 20s interacted with the opposite sex. When men made small talk with other men, the testosterone levels in their saliva remained unchanged. When they interacted with women, however, their salivary testosterone levels spiked dramatically. The team credited this spike to the men’s desire to court the woman, as testosterone often accompanies such behavior.

The students involved with the study ranged in age from 21-31. In total, 39 people participated. Also involved in the study were five women, all of whom were preselected and aware of the study’s purpose. They ranged in age from 19-23. Before each conversation, the men had their mouths swabbed for testosterone samples.

In just five minutes, the men’s levels of testosterone changed dramatically.

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