The menstrual cycle and punitiveness.
Subjects (n = 59) read vignettes of seven different college disciplinary cases and for each one selected a level of punishment. Three groups of subjects consisted of women in the menstrual (n = 12), premenstrual (n = 10), and intermenstrual (n = 13) phases. In addition, there were conditions in which women who were approaching the premenstrual phase were led to believe they were in it (n = 7) or were still several days away from it (n = 7). Finally, there was sixth group: males of comparable age and background (n = 10). The six groups were responsive-and about equally so-to differences among the seven cases. However, the groups did not differ in average level of punishment selected nor did they differ in reliability of judgment across individuals. There was some indication that males and the women led to believe they were premenstrual, found the task to be harder than did the other groups.