TY - JOUR
T1 - Age-related Changes in Children's Hedonic Response to Male Body Odor
AU - Stevenson, Richard J.
AU - Repacholi, Betty M.
PY - 2003/7
Y1 - 2003/7
N2 - Male sweat smells disgusting to many adults, but it is unclear whether children find it so. In Experiment 1A, children (mean age = 8.7 years) and adolescents (M = 16.6 years) smelled male sweat and other odors, rated each for liking, and attempted their identification. Only female adolescents disliked male sweat and could identify it. Experiment 1B, using the same procedure, obtained this gender difference in adults (M = 26.7 years). In Experiment 2, children (M = 8.1 years) and adolescents (M = 16.6 years) were cued about the identity of the same odors. Irrespective of gender, adolescents disliked male sweat more than did children. In sum, dislike for the odor of male sweat may be an acquired social response that is based on odor identification.
AB - Male sweat smells disgusting to many adults, but it is unclear whether children find it so. In Experiment 1A, children (mean age = 8.7 years) and adolescents (M = 16.6 years) smelled male sweat and other odors, rated each for liking, and attempted their identification. Only female adolescents disliked male sweat and could identify it. Experiment 1B, using the same procedure, obtained this gender difference in adults (M = 26.7 years). In Experiment 2, children (M = 8.1 years) and adolescents (M = 16.6 years) were cued about the identity of the same odors. Irrespective of gender, adolescents disliked male sweat more than did children. In sum, dislike for the odor of male sweat may be an acquired social response that is based on odor identification.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0141642085&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0012-1649.39.4.670
DO - 10.1037/0012-1649.39.4.670
M3 - Article
C2 - 12859121
AN - SCOPUS:0141642085
SN - 0012-1649
VL - 39
SP - 670
EP - 679
JO - Developmental Psychology
JF - Developmental Psychology
IS - 4
ER -