Sex-hormone dependent perception of androstenone suggests its involvement in communicating competition and aggression

The current results support the notion of androstenone communicating dominance, aggression or competition. Men with higher testosterone levels are more sensitive to androstenone and dislike its odor, possibly indicating that androstenone signals the readiness for competition in men. Similarly, the fact that women with higher estradiol levels dislike androstenone may be due to androstenone being a signal of reduced willingness for social cooperation and an increased likelihood to engage in extramarital sex.