Want to make a good impression on a date or in your day-to-day conversation? Then pay attention to the things that scientists think can affect the way people perceive you.
10. Don't cross your arms
According to a 2016 study, those who use body language to show “closeness” appear less attractive to other people.
- The researchers created two sets of profiles for men and women in one of the popular dating apps. In one set, men and women took a "closed" position (crossing their arms over their chest or clasping their shoulders).
- Another set showed people in expansive positions (they showed their fingers the "V" sign or extended their hand to grab something).
- The results showed that those who were in an expansive position were chosen much more often than those who were in a tight and “unsociable” position.
9. Some people like it hot
Interesting results were obtained from a study conducted by staff at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. They found that for women who ate something spicy, male sex appeal increased immediately by 20%.
The study authors believe that this is due to the concept of embodied cognition, based on the complex connection between sensory-motor experience and behavior, emotional sphere and decision making.
8. Make fewer grammatical mistakes in your correspondence
One study found that most men and women reject online brides and grooms solely because of grammatical errors in their dating profiles. And 75% of the 9,000 people who posted their profiles on dating sites admitted that they would reject anyone who wrote with the mistakes typical of fifth grade high school.
7. Red is the color of attraction
Color perception is highly subjective. And yet there is a color that most men find very sexy. Of course, you have already guessed what color we are talking about.
Red is perceived as an indicator of sexual readiness. The researchers believe this may have something to do with the natural mechanisms of the female body to demonstrate interest in a partner. For example, a woman may blush while interacting with a man she is interested in. Or during sexual intercourse.
Hence the conclusion: if you want to be more attractive to men, wear red.
6. Danger brings you closer
In the 70s of the last century, social psychologists Donald Dutton and Arthur Aron studied the connection between feelings of danger and sexual attraction.
The men tested had to walk over the suspended and high-located Capilano Bridge, or the low and reliable one. At the end of the bridge and on the bridge itself, a psychologist assistant approached them, asked a few questions and left her phone number "in case additional questions arise."
It turned out that those who dared to cross the high bridge called her much more often than the men who crossed the low bridge.The researchers linked this to "arousal attribution error." That is, the sense of danger led to the appearance of excitement. However, men mistook him for sex drive.
So if you want to have an unforgettable date, invite her or him to one of the scariest rides in the world... At the same time, check if you and your counterpart have nerves of steel.
5. Get plenty of sleep
Lack of sleep affects our appearance and emotions. And also how other people perceive us.
In a 2010 study, scientists from Sweden and the Netherlands photographed several people who had slept at least eight hours the previous night, as well as those who had not slept for 31 hours. Then a group of 65 people aged 18 to 61 were asked to rate which pictures they like best. Photos were presented in random order.
Sleep-deprived people were rated as unsympathetic across the board. Participants in the study reported that they had “bloated eyelids, red eyes, dark circles under the eyes, and pale skin.” They also noted that sleep deprived people appear sadder than their better-rested counterparts.
4. Come on the right
You probably know that the left and right hemispheres of the brain work in different ways. And each of them is responsible for its own functions. Scientists have also found that they also affect your chances of having a successful conversation with someone at a public event.
So, if you walk up to someone in a club with loud music and speak into his or her right ear, you are much more likely to get that person to listen than if you speak into your left ear. The researchers actually tested their theory in the club, not in the laboratory.
It is still not clear why people are much more receptive to things said on the right side. And this approach is unlikely to work with a person who is deaf in the right ear.
3. Loves? Does not love?
One study from the Universities of Virginia and Harvard found that women are more attracted to men whose intentions were not clear.
Surprisingly, their level of attractiveness was even higher than that of men, who clearly showed interest in the women participating in the experiment. So the best way to be more attractive to a girl is to confuse her about your relationship to her.
2. The higher the voice, the lower the attractiveness level
While the media and films tend to portray thin and resonant voices as sexier, science has found that men don't really like it that much.
According to a 2013 study, female voices sounded attractive when they were "hoarse and moderately high."
This does not mean that you need to speak in a very low and rude voice, but also do not squeak like Mickey Mouse if you want to make a good impression on the other person.
1. Try to look proud. Or happy.
In a 2011 survey, researchers gave subjects about a thousand pictures of people of the opposite sex and asked them to rate their attractiveness.
- The ladies called the men in the photo the most attractive when they showed pride, but the happy male faces seemed to them the least attractive.
- For their part, men named the most attractive women who looked happy, and the least attractive women who exuded a sense of pride.