Sensory Perception
In addition to hormonal effects on motor responses, hormones can also influence sensory perception.
- the vomeronasal organ mediates detection of pheromones that stimulate various responses such as activation of sex behavior or preferences for odors on gonadally-intact conspecifics
- gonadectomy decreases these responses
- administration of testosterone to males, and estrogen to females, can restore these responses
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There is also evidence that hormones can influence taste and pain sensitivity.
- female rats show a greater preference for sweet tastes and salt solutions than males
- stress-induced analgesia (opioid-dependent form) is greater in males than in females
- female rats are more responsive to electric footshock than males; during footshock, females respond to lower intensities of shock (lower pain thresholds) and react more quickly (shorter escape latencies)