TITLE:
Attitudes and Preferences for Sex-Appealing Products by Vietnamese Women in Their Ovulation Cycle
AUTHORS:
Ngoc Pham, Arturo Vasquez, Reto Felix
KEYWORDS:
Revealing Fashion Products, Peak Fertility, Purchase Intention
JOURNAL NAME:
Theoretical Economics Letters,
Vol.7 No.7,
November
28,
2017
ABSTRACT: This study investigates the impact of female sex
hormones on women’s consumption of fashion products. These hormones reach peak
level when women are near ovulation, and
this research examines how these hormones, when at peak level, influence women’s attitudes and purchase
intention towards sexy and revealing
fashion products. The research is based on two theoretical frameworks: Ovulatory Shift Hypothesis (OSH) and Theory of
Reasoned Action (TRA). Specifically, the OSH, based on the female
ovulatory cycle, postulates that women change their sexual preferences for men with perceived
good biological indicators of genetic
fitness on the high-to-low fertility days of the cycle. Thus, these
women may also exhibit increased mating interest and higher motivation to act
in ways that would help secure a desirable partner. The theory of reasoned
action sheds light on the indirect relationship between women’s ovulatory
period and their choice of apparel, with attitude as a mediator. A
within-subject survey design was used to
examine the proposed phenomenon. Vietnamese women were recruited for this specific study. In line
with OSH, these study findings suggest
that when near ovulation, women show more favorable attitudes and stronger purchase intention towards sexy and
revealing fashion products. Further, as predicted by TRA, attitudes towards
sexy and revealing fashion products mediate the relationship between ovulation
and purchase intentions. The results of this study add to related streams of
research which suggests that
hormonal fluctuations influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intention.
For managers, the results provide suggestions on how to target female consumers
for sexy fashion products more effectively.