Female Gaze Behaviour, Status and the Menstrual Cycle: An Exploratory Study

Whilst not explaining all social behaviour and organisation, dominance is nevertheless an important dimension of human social interaction. It has been hypothesized that gaze behaviour reflects the dominance hierarchy of primate groups and several studies have demonstrated that cues associated with social status also influence human gaze. These studies overwhelmingly involve male participants and sex differences in coalition formation, status seeking, risk taking and dominance-related behaviour have all been explained by the fact that males needed to compete for mates while females supposedly did not. Indeed, until comparatively recently it was thought that dominance contests were of little consequence for females. However, there is increasing evidence to suggest that competitiveness is useful for females and there are attendant benefits conferred upon those with high status. Thus, it is important to understand these status-gaze relationships in women. Sixty heterosexual, caucasian female participants (mean age=22.1, SD=3.16) competed in a dyadic non-physical status encounter (woodblock game Jenga). Dyads were unknown to each other and matched by menstrual phase ( follicular/luteal) or contraceptive use. Winners were congratulated and received £5 to accentuate status disparity. In the two minutes following competition participants sat apart but in sight of each other. The investigator left the room and gaze behaviour was recorded by video camera. The length of time each participant spent looking at their opponent was related to competition outcome: winners (M=3.96, SD=1.72), losers (M=7.34, SD=4.32). There were main effects for outcome, F(1,54)=22.47, p<0.0001 and menstrual phase/contraceptive use F(2,54)=5.34, p=0.008. Follicular and Luteal phase did not differ from each other significantly. The interaction between outcome and menstrual phase/ contraceptive use was significant, F(2,54)=8.75, p<0.001, with contraceptive use reversing the findings of longer gaze time in the loss condition in normally cycling women. Our results support the hypothesis that female gaze behaviour is responsive to the outcome of status encounters.