The present study, performed within the framework of evolutionary psychology, is an examination of the influence of hormonal fluctuations, associated with the phases of the menstrual cycle, on judgements of male and female facial attractiveness. It was hypothesized that women in the periovulatory phase would be more discriminating in rating male facial attractiveness than women in the early follicular phase, due to an increased likelihood of conceiving. Alternatively, if peri-ovulatory women are too selective, they may not fmd a mate; therefore, women in the peri-ovulatory phase could be more discriminating than women in the early-follicular phase. Judgements of female facial attractiveness were also examined as it may be associated with same sex competition. Lastly, salivary testosterone was analyzed in order to investigate the relationship between attractiveness ratings and testosterone levels, as testosterone is linked to women's libido and sexuality. To test these hypotheses, 129 undergraduate females who had regular and normally cycling menstrual cycles rated male and female facial attractiveness twice, once during the peri-ovulatory phase and again during the early-follicular phase. Menstrual phase had no significant influence on judgements of facial attractiveness of male and female faces. Female faces were rated as more attractive than male faces independent of phase, and the ratings were more variable for the female faces than the male faces. There was no difference in levels of salivary testosterone during the peri-ovulatory and the early follicular phase, and no significant correlations were obtained to support the hypothesis of a relationship between judgements of attractiveness and testosterone. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Syftet med studien är att undersöka huruvida den kontorsarbetande kvinnan blir påverkad av menscykelns hormonella skiftningar i arbetslivet, i termer av arbetsprestation och arbetsmiljö. Därtill undersöks huruvida kvinnan ställer sig till arbetsrelaterade anpassningar med hänsyn till påverkan av de hormonella skiftningarna. Datan är insamlad genom kvantitativ metod i form av enkäter på både svenska och engelska. Enkäterna distribuerades på de sociala plattformarna LinkedIn och Facebook tillsammans med en infografisk bild som innehöll fakta om könshormoners påverkan av kroppen. Resultatet indikerar att de kontorsarbetande kvinnorna är måttligt eller starkt påverkade av menscykelns hormonella skiftningar i arbetet. Dessutom framkommer det att en majoritet av respondenterna är positiva till att implementera arbetsrelaterade anpassningar avseende dessa hormonella förändringar. Baserat på datainsamlingen och de valda teoretiska ramverken kan det konstateras att arbetslivet inte alltid är anpassat utefter kvinnors biologiska förutsättningar, och att kvinnors arbetsmiljö och arbetsprestation skulle förbättras såvida arbetsrelaterade anpassningar genomfördes. Vidare är det möjligt att konstatera att ett arbetsklimat anpassat för båda könen skulle ge en ömsesidig vinning för både kvinnorna och företagen. / The purpose of the study is to examine whether the female office worker is affected by the menstrual cycle’s hormonal fluctuations in the workplace, in terms of work performance and work environment. Additionally, it investigates whether women are receptive to workplace adjustments considering the impact of hormonal fluctuations. The data was collected through a quantitative method using surveys in both Swedish and English. The surveys were distributed on the social platforms LinkedIn and Facebook along with an infographic containing facts about the influence of sex hormones on the body. The results indicate that female office workers are moderately or strongly affected by hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle at work. Furthermore, the results show that the majority of respondents are positive towards workplace adjustments regarding hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. Based on the data collection and the selected theoretical frameworks, it can be concluded that the workplace is not always tailored to women's biological conditions, and that women's work environment and performance would improve if work-related adaptations were implemented. Furthermore, it can be concluded that a work environment adapted for both genders would provide mutual benefits for both the women and the companies.