Recruit a couple buddies to be your wingmen. People were rated as better looking when they were in group photos than in solo shots, a study from the University of California at San Diego found.
Credit it to something called the “cheerleader effect,” the researchers say. People appear more attractive in groups because viewing faces together makes them look more like the group average—which can help “even out” any one person’s unattractive idiosyncrasies.
Actually, your best wingman might still be in diapers. According to research from France, men who played nice with babies were more than three times as likely to score a woman’s phone number than guys who ignored the newborns.
In fact, 40 percent of ladies gave up their digits after they saw men smiling, cooing, and talking with the tykes.
The women also rated the child-friendly fellas as more attractive. The logic: Good behaviour with babies signals a willingness to invest in future kids, researchers say.
The scientists believe that heavy stubble shows a good balance of masculinity. Past research has shown that partners who are highly masculine – as could be perceived by full beards – may be less likely to invest in long-term relationships.
See if you can take your friend’s luxury car for a spin: In a U.K. study, women dug men who sat inside a Bentley Continental way more than when the same guys were chilling inside a Ford Fiesta – even though their posture and facial expressions remained the same.
Chalk it up to status, the researchers believe. Expensive rides show that a man has lots of resources—and may be willing to “invest” in a woman’s well-being, too.
Canines can help grease social interaction, the researchers say.
Pooches boost perceptions of kindness, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity—all qualities women find appealing in guys.
Giving your time can get her hot. A study from Cornell University found that women reported greater desire to date – and engage in long-term relationships with – men whose dating profiles showed selfless traits, like volunteering at a local food bank.
Altruism signals a concern for others, the researchers say. And this might also show a more solid investment in the relationship.
Your witty one-liners might help you in the sack. Guys who have greater senses of humour – as shown by their ability to come up with chuckle-worthy cartoon captions – have more short-term, uncommitted sex than boring men, shows research from the University of New Mexico.
That’s because humour might be rooted in sexual selection, the researchers believe. It’s a hard-to-fake signal of intelligence and creativity, which makes women believe that funny guys might be better mates.
This penchant for ancestral peril is likely rooted in natural selection, researchers say. When men take on these risks, they may be advertising their genetic prowess to women.
Mentioning hobby-related words like “book” or “read” – or including info about running, jogging, or lifting weights – provided a significant message boost, too.
Just be careful you’re not coming on too strong. Men whose first communication with women contained words like “dinner” or “drinks” saw their response rate plummet by 35 percent.
