Functional periodicity is a term that emerged around the late 19th century around the belief, later to be found invalid, that women suffered from physical and mental impairment during their menstrual cycle.
Men held a higher status and were regarded as superior to women at this period in time.
She made key contributions in the research of functional periodicity, as well as in the feminist movement at the time.
For example, in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, there was debate about whether or not women should participate in higher education.
Many argued that women should not go on to pursue higher education because of the dangers that may be involved relating to physiological circumstances.
[1] An example of this line of thought comes from the British Medical Journal, which discusses the question of whether or not a menstruating woman can contaminate or damage food by touching it.
When she finally got the opportunity to enroll in the psychology program at Columbia University under Edward Thorndike, she took it.
[2] Leta Hollingworth was a clinical psychologist and feminist activist who conducted psychological research on several theories involving women.
She was quite instrumental in disproving the theory of functional periodicity, which was widely believed to be true by scientists as well as the general public.
For her dissertation research at Columbia Teacher's College, Hollingworth decided to conduct an investigation on functional periodicity, which she considered to be an unfair assumption about women that lacked any scientific grounds to justify itself.
[2] Hollingworth completed her dissertation under the supervision of the psychologist Edward Thorndike, a major proponent of the variability hypothesis.
Hollingworth saw it as her duty as a feminist to prove through scientific study that women were equally as capable and intelligent as men in all of their pursuits, even during menstruation.
Her dissertation included three studies dealing with functional periodicity among women, two of which were intensive and one which was extensive.
Her studies on functional periodicity helped to expand the view of menstruation and reduce bias towards women.
Hall is one of the leading male figures who stated, "Women... can make less accurate and energetic movements, and the mental activities are less brilliant."
The steadiness test was measured by having each participant hold a brass rod 2.5 mm in diameter at arm's length.