Data from: Does fertility status influence impulsivity and risk taking in human females? Adaptive influences on intertemporal choice and risky decision making

Informed by the research on adaptive decision making in other animal
species, this study investigated human females’ intertemporal and risky
choices across the ovulatory cycle. We tested the hypothesis that at peak
fertility, women who are exposed to environments that signal availability
of higher quality mates (by viewing images of attractive males), become
more impulsive and risk-seeking in economic decision tasks. To test this,
we collected intertemporal and risky choice measures before and after
exposure to images of either attractive males or neutral landscapes both
at peak and low fertility conditions. The results showed an interaction
between women’s fertility status and image type, such that women at peak
fertility viewing images of attractive men chose the smaller, sooner
monetary reward option less than women at peak fertility viewing neutral
images. Neither fertility status nor image type influenced risky choice.
Thus, though exposure to images of men altered intertemporal choices at
peak fertility, this occurred in the opposite direction than
predicted—i.e., women at peak fertility became less impulsive.
Nevertheless, the results of the current study provide evidence for shifts
in preferences over the ovulatory cycle and opens future research on
economic decision making.