Sex hormones have been reported to dynamically modulate the expression of implicit motives. In the present study, a team of researchers from Biopsychology, Cognitive Psychology and the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Preventive Medicine used the Operant Motive Test (OMT) to investigate to what extent the need for affiliation, power, and achievement is affected by the menstrual cycle. In addition to measuring the strength of motive expression, the OMT also captures different forms of motive enactment. No evidence for cycle-phase related variation in overall motive scores was found. However, when different forms of motive enactment were considered, an effect of menstrual cycle was observed. The incentive-based inhibition of the power motive was significantly reduced at the time of ovulation, compared to the menstrual and to the mid-luteal phase, in naturally cycling women. In women using hormonal contraceptives, no significant changes in the form of motive enactment were evident. These results show a hormonal influence on motive-related cognitive processes.

Ball, A., Wolf, C.C., Ocklenburg, S., Brüne, M., Wolf, O.T., Güntürkün, O., Pinnow, M. (2014). The type of implicit motive enactment is modulated by sex hormones in naturally cycling women: Physiology & Behavior, 123: 119-126