The Daily Stat: Women's Competitiveness Drops When Fertility Is Low

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   AUTHORS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile AUGUST 14, 2012 Women's Competitiveness Drops When Fertility Is Low Women who use contraceptive pills are 50% less competitive during the 21 days of the month when they take the drug, which contains the sex hormone progesterone, according to Thomas Buser of the University of Amsterdam. Moreover, in an experiment involving compensation schemes for a problem-solving task, women were 10.5 percentage points less likely to opt for a competitive scheme if they were at the point in their monthly cycles when fertility was low because progesterone levels were high. The findings are consistent with evolutionary theories positing that competitiveness is less useful for women during the infertile phase of the ovulation cycle. Some researchers have said that aversion to competition may help explain the low number of women in top corporate positions. Source: The impact of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives Share Today's Stat: FEATURED PRODUCT Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck: What It Takes to Be an Entrepreneur and Build a Great Business HBR Press Book Do you have what it takes to build a great business? Three prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs share the qualities that repeatedly surface in those who successfully achieve their goals: heart, smarts, guts and luck. Uncover your own entrepreneurial profile and learn which qualities you need to dial up or dial down. Not only will you know how to build a better business faster, you'll also take your natural leadership style to the next level. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Stat: BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR's Must Reads Library Set Guide to Persuasive Presentations Guide to Better Business Writing Guide to Getting the Right Work Done PREVIOUS STATS Disgust Makes People More Receptive to the New The Product in the Center of the Shelf Is the Winner Are Americans Ready to Cut the Cord on Cable TV? Improve Your Golf Game By Thinking Powerful Thoughts Invest in Karma to Get a Job? Why Not? Why a Female Scientist in a Pink Dress Is No Hero to Girls Congested Spaces Give Rise to Most Incidents of Rudeness U.S. Teens Suffer from Influx of Immigrant Laborers Decline of Unions Increases Burglaries and Theft Mexico Is Tops in Per-Capita Drinking of Coca-Cola Products Introducing HBR's Morning Advantage The Harvard Business Review Morning Advantage delivers the latest business ideas from beyond HBR.org directly to your inbox every morning — and it is free! Sign up today >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "The Daily Stat" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)