The Estrogen Factor – The Search For Nonverbal Power In Women
Christopher Philip
Researcher Steven Stanton and Robin Edelstein, Duke University, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience have found evidence that power motivation is related to estradiol levels in women.
In their study, 40 women offered salivary samples used to assess estradiol before completing a “Picture Story Exercise.” This is used to measure levels of felt power. In this task, participants are given 5 minutes per picture to write creative stories. The image sample included women in laboratory, a ship captain, couple by river, trapeze artists, nightclub scene, boxer, girlfriends in a café with male approaching, and a bicycle race.
The stories were then assessed for power by keying on words such as strong, forceful actions that have impact over others, controlling others, influencing or persuading others, offering unsolicited help or advice, impressing others, fame, prestige, reputation, and actions that elicit a strong emotional response in others.
Results showed that power was positively coupled with estradiol levels. The correlation was strongest in single women not taking oral contraceptives.
The researchers point out that the results mirror those found in animals studies where estrogen is the power motive and responsible for the creation of dominance in females.
The data also indicate that while relationships status did play into the estradiol-power relationship, it wasn’t as strong as the relationship between oral contraceptive and power. This means that oral contraceptives is a greater impediment to the power and dominance motive in women, but that being in a relationship also decreased power.
“There are potential evolutionary benefits or explanations for the positive association between estradiol levels and Power,” say the researchers. “Power is positively associated with frequency of sexual intercourse in women.”
Also sexual intercourse and estradiol also peek around ovulation. This extends the relationship once again to estradiol, power, dominance and also sexual intercourse.
Further, say the researchers “In high-estradiol single women, corresponding high-levels of n Power could facilitate access to mates via dominance behavior. In coupled women, however, this link would be of lesser importance because these women already have access to a sexual partner.”
Thus, estradiol receptors may down regulate (become less sensitive) in women in close relationships where women are no longer required to compete for mates.
“Such a modification of the neural networks would alter estradiol’s ability to drive neural activity and subsequently influence the behavioral expression of estradiol mediated behaviors and motives such as dominance and Power, respectively.”
The researchers caution that these are mere speculation and that the research is currently lacking.
However, the current research has replicated previous findings which lend credence to the idea that women’s dominance motivation is linked to estradiol in women rather than testosterone.
Drawing Conclusions
Thus far, women have shown mixed or contradictory results when it comes to power stemming from body language. When women hold an erect posture, they tend to perform and feel worse about their performance then when they hold submissive slouched postures.
It will be interesting to see if any future research will find a link between power activation in women through external cues.
For now, I side with this research in saying that power for women comes not from testosterone, but from estrogen. Women with the highest estrogen are also the women who are experience the highest feelings of power. Estrogen, thus, will mediate behavioural tendencies such as risky behaviour including desire for sexual intercourse.
Finally, if it is true that women gain power from endogenous (normally released) estradiol, then it is this hormone that is key to achieving power. We know that it peaks during ovulation, which occurs about mid-cycle and, as we see it is also higher in single women. It’s also likely higher in women in their peak fertility declining with age (similar to the effect seen in men with respect to testosterone).
Thus, at least a few tips are present with respect to power activation. Avoid artificial hormones, stay single and maximize power attempts (should this be your goal) mid-cycle when women are most likely to be power activated and more likely to take risks.
Aside from this, we await nonverbal research which may help shed light on posture that may raise estradiol levels. My current suspicion is that we may find that submissive postures lead to a boost, but there are no immediate results to report.
Resources
Stanton, Steven J. and Robin S. Edelstein. The Physiology of Women’s Power Motive: Implicit Power Motivation is Positively Associated With Estradiol Levels in Women. Journal of Research in Personality. 2019. 43: 1109-1113.
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