SEX DIFFERENCES IN AVERSIVE CONDITIONING: A COMPARISON OF WOMEN AT DIFFERENT PHASES OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE WITH MEN (PHOBIA, AGORAPHOBIA, GSR)

In an effort to evaluate potential sex differences that may be related to the differential incidence of agoraphobia between the sexes, 30 women and 15 men were exposed to an aversive conditioning procedure. Women were tested either premenstrually (within four days prior to menstruation) or intermenstrually (at any time other than seven days before or following menstruation). Skin conductance was the dependent measure in the conditioning procedure. The purpose of the conditioning procedure was disguised. Menstrual phase information was acquired by the administration of a modified Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. This questionnaire administration was represented to women as a separate experiment. Although substantial evidence established the presence of conditioning among all three groups, no differences were found in conditionability between menstrual phases; however, a weak effect was found indicating a sex difference in conditionability. The disparity between the findings of no menstrual phase differences in this study, and the prior research that has found menstrual differences in conditioning may be accounted for by this investigation's adoption of a more stringent definition of conditioning, and the use of deception. The indication that women are more conditionable than men was discussed within the context of the previous literature which has reported a similar sex difference in aversive conditioning. The possibility that sex differences in aversive conditioning might contribute to the higher frequency of phobias among women as compared to men was also discussed.