belgareth
07-22-2004, 02:36 PM
Movies Really Can Put You in the Mood, Study
Finds
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Watching a movie can boost hormone levels,
making men and women feel more romantic or more aggressive, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
Sentimental films such
as "The Bridges of Madison County" caused levels of the hormone progesterone to rise by more than 10 percent in both
men and women, the team at the University of Michigan found.
Women's testosterone
levels were unchanged during and after the Clint Eastwood movie about a love affair, while men's testosterone
levels fell.
"The Godfather Part II" aroused a different sort of passion. While
watching the crime and action film, men with the highest levels of testosterone had them soar by as much as 30
percent more.
But men and women watching a documentary about the Amazon rain
forest (news - web sites) were unaffected, the study found.
"When you're watching
movies, your hormones are responding, not just your mind," said Oliver Schultheiss, a psychology professor who led
the study.
"If you want
to learn about someone's personality, look at their video collection," added Schultheiss, who published his study
in the journal Hormones and Behavior.
Finds
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Watching a movie can boost hormone levels,
making men and women feel more romantic or more aggressive, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
Sentimental films such
as "The Bridges of Madison County" caused levels of the hormone progesterone to rise by more than 10 percent in both
men and women, the team at the University of Michigan found.
Women's testosterone
levels were unchanged during and after the Clint Eastwood movie about a love affair, while men's testosterone
levels fell.
"The Godfather Part II" aroused a different sort of passion. While
watching the crime and action film, men with the highest levels of testosterone had them soar by as much as 30
percent more.
But men and women watching a documentary about the Amazon rain
forest (news - web sites) were unaffected, the study found.
"When you're watching
movies, your hormones are responding, not just your mind," said Oliver Schultheiss, a psychology professor who led
the study.
"If you want
to learn about someone's personality, look at their video collection," added Schultheiss, who published his study
in the journal Hormones and Behavior.