This study documents three scientific experiments conducted in 2012 that examined brain responses and behavioral changes in men and women exposed to androstadienone. It was observed that even trace, imperceptible amounts of this semiochemical influence changes in brain responses and human behavior. The publication is in English.

There is evidence that pheromones are communicative signals in animals. However, the existence and function of human pheromones are still under debate. In recent years, 4,16-androstadien-3-one (androstadienone), in particular, found in male and female sweat, has become the subject of intense investigation. Data suggest that androstadienone modulates our attention and the processing of visual cues. This thesis examines the effects of androstadienone exposure in men and women on behavioral and cortical reactions to visual and emotional stimuli in three experimental studies. The results corroborate the notion of androstadienone as an active social chemosignal. In minute amounts and not detectable as an odor it influenced brain responses and motor reaction speed. This suggests that androstadienone indeed affects cognitive functions like attentional processes and in turn affects our behavior. Further androstadienone may act like a human modulator pheromone, namely modulating ongoing behavior and psychological processes to a particular context, by changing stimulus sensitivity, salience and sensory-motor integration.