subject: Pheromones-The 20/20 Experiment [print this page] Perhaps the most famous sociological study to determine the effectiveness of pheromones with human sexual attraction was conducted by ABC's primetime news program-20/20. Identical twins, a speed dating session, and pheromones were used to test the legitimacy of the claims made by various fragrance companies.
A set of single female twins (Sarah and Bridget) and a set of available male twins (Dave and Paul) were all told individually that they were going to go to a speed dating session and have an advantage over all the other participants-the use of human pheromones. Sarah and Dave were given the actual pheromones prior to the dating session while Paul and Bridget were given a placebo.
Each of the four participants engaged in ten five-minute dates with members of the opposite sex. The twins were similarly dressed and therefore should have had similar results.
The twins who were given pheromones prior to the speed dating session-Sarah and Dave had significantly higher responses from the other unknowing participants than Bridget and Paul. Nine out of ten men wanted to see Sarah again as opposed to only five men wanting to see her twin sister Bridget. Dave received ten positive responses compared to his brother Paul's success rate of six women.
These results confirm that applying pheromones in this social setting did indeed give the edge to two of the lucky identical twins. Stories are often told of customers who report more touch from the opposite sex, eye contact, and being generally noticed when wearing pheromones.
