London - It is often said that women have an internal biological clock. But it seems the mere sound of the seconds ticking away can make them focus more on their fertility.
A study found that being able to hear the tick-tock of a clock makes women quicken their desire to marry and have children.
Researchers completed two experiments to test the influence of the ticking of a small clock on men and women’s reproductive attitudes.
In the first, 59 men and women were asked questions about the age at which they would like to marry and start a family. In the second experiment, the researchers examined to what extent 74 participants would alter the characteristics they normally sought in potential mates to possibly settle for less just in order to have children sooner.
During both experiments, researchers varied whether there was a clock ticking.
Female participants who were listening to the ticking clock said they wanted to start a family nearly three years earlier than women who weren’t listening to a clock. The study, published in the journal Human Nature, found the men’s attitudes towards having a family were not influenced by the ticking.
The Florida State University researchers said: “Subtle clues that signal the passage of time – such as the perception of a ticking clock – may signal threats to a woman’s reproductive potential.” - Daily Mail