Differential influence of stereoisomers of estradiol on sexual behavior of female hamsters

Morphological and behavioral responses to estradiol-17 beta (E2-17 beta) and estradiol-17 alpha (E2-17 alpha) were examined in a series of three experiments. The E2-17 beta augmented uterine growth in hamsters to a greater extent than did E2-17 alpha. Lordosis in ovariectomized adults was elicited by treatment with E2-17 beta but not with E2-17 alpha (each tested in combination with progesterone). When administered neonatally only E2-17 beta disrupted estrous cyclicity in the intact female and induced the ability to mount in ovariectomized, androgen-treated adults. These results suggest the existence of a stereospecific response to estrogenic stimulation in neural tissue comparable with that occurring in the uterus.     

Identifying the distress cues that influence support provision: a paired comparison approach

Just as chemistry has methods for determining the composition of unknown substances, psychology needs, but has lacked, effective methods for identifying the "active ingredients" of social stimuli. We describe such a method and apply it to identify the verbal and nonverbal distress cues that serve as signals prompting others to provide social support. This method allowed us to identify 55 such cues. Furthermore, the cues that were salient in the minds of potential support providers depended on their goals. For example, when deciding whether someone needed support, negative nonverbal cues (e.g., distressed persons' fidgeting) were more salient, but when deciding whether one was willing to provide support, cues that suggested a positive outcome for the support seeker (e.g., distressed persons' positive attitude and open-mindedness) were more salient.