Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Wild Fragaria on January 17, 2007, 03:19:25 pm
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Something about girls and boys to start the new year :D And I think you probably should stay away from Brad Pitt :P
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/01/17/human.attraction.reut/index.html
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but other people's opinions matter too when it comes to the attraction between men and women, according to researchers.
They found women are more attracted to a man if other women like him too.
"We tend to think about things like attraction as reflecting a private decision or a personal choice but our work shows that people's attractiveness judgments can be influenced in pronounced ways by what other people appear to think of those individuals," said psychologist Dr. Ben Jones.
Jones, of the University of Aberdeen, and his team tested the impact of the opinions of others by giving women a test in which they had to choose the more attractive of pairs of male faces and to rate how much more handsome they found them.
They were then shown a short video in which the same faces were displayed. But each face was being looked at by a woman smiling or one showing a bored or neutral expression.
After watching the video, the researchers repeated the initial test.
"We found that the slide show caused women to become more attracted to the men who were being smiled at by other women," said Jones.
The test had the opposite effect on men however, possibly because of the competition factor amongst males.
When men were asked to look at the same male faces, those who got the approving female glances became less appealing.
"This shows that people are using cues to the attitudes of others towards individuals to shape their own attractiveness judgments of those individuals," Jones told Reuters.
The findings, which are reported in The Proceedings of The Royal Society B journal, are similar to mate-choice copying seen in other species and are thought to be the first time it has been shown in humans.
Positive female interest in the faces increased the women's preference for the males but it had the opposite effect on male judgments.
Jones suggests the positive reaction conveys a sense of approval for women but the negative male reaction could reflect jealousy or competition.
"If I go to a bar with Brad Pitt, for example, chances are I'm not going to get much interest from the women because Pitt will hog all the attention," he said.
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Scarily true...
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What have you experienced?
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That Im less attracted to people who have people flirting and hitting on them....
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University of Aberdeen? I'm surprised they weren't studying sheep......
It's not really surprising; sexual selection dictates that men compete for female approval, so it's natural that we'd (well, men) be built to look negatively upon competition. On the other hand, females excercise mate choice, so they'll judge the best male through things such as a 'social' standing; it's also perhaps linked to the mildly polygamous nature of humanity (males with some - not many - female mates, as evidenced by sexual dimorphism).
(EDIT; I'd suspect the mechanics of attraction are deep wired enough not to be affected, but I can't help but wonder if they did a similar experiment with homosexual attraction)
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Wow, we are getting more 'scientific' here :D
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Maybe the women in the pictures are smiling because the man in the picture is more attractive? :wtf: Baaaaaad science.
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Er, duuuhhh. Ugly women get less action not just because guys find them unattractive, but because said guys don't want to be found doing anything with said ugly women, lest their friends see them.
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What's wrong with ugly women? Some of them might actually have some inner beauty -- sweet, caring and understanding :)
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In other words we are one step closer to understand how women think :D
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Are you trying to get closer to your woman, Windy? :D
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Are you trying to get closer to your woman, Windy? :D
I don't need to get close, she is allready mine :)
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Are you trying to get closer to your woman, Windy? :D
I don't need to get close, she is allready mine :)
Aw... That's very sweet. Congrats :D
By the way I found the same article on theherald :D
http://theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1127014.0.0.php
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Maybe if they spent less time in the lab and more time in the pub, they wouldn't have taken quite so long to figure this out....
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Seriously. Science to rescue us from the obvious once again.
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Just because it seems obvious doesn't mean it is.
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Well... can't say it's a surprise... but there's humanity for you.
Er, duuuhhh. Ugly women get less action not just because guys find them unattractive, but because said guys don't want to be found doing anything with said ugly women, lest their friends see them.
Speaking as someone who doesn't really directly care about looks... welcome to my life.
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Actually, I've found that the less attractive the lady, the more action she see's! They tend to be less obsessed about they way they look and easier going. Therefore they tend to be more confident in themselves and conversely more attractive! I am actually talking about the larger lady here. They tend to be more outgoing and morefun to be around and therefore have more success when it comes to it! Whether that turns into long lasting relationships I'm not too sure.
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I have nothing against large women (in fact, I find them just as fun as their thinner counterparts :) ). I'm just saying that if a guy dates a woman who most men consider to be unattractive, then he'll get teased for it - it's not like it's rocket science (although apparently these scientists have made it out to be).
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I have nothing against large women (in fact, I find them just as fun as their thinner counterparts :) ). I'm just saying that if a guy dates a woman who most men consider to be unattractive, then he'll get teased for it - it's not like it's rocket science (although apparently these scientists have made it out to be).
And what I'm saying is the guy who lets the teasing get in the way of a good relationship has a problem with his own self esteem. The best relationship can be with the most unlikely partner, and the person who lets others opinion get in the way deserves to be alone. What I'm basically saying is don'tl let your friends choose you life for you. After all it's your life!
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There's a difference between low self esteem and not hating yourself, you see... if I worried what a complete stranger / idiot thinks of me, and cut myself at night, I have low self esteem; if I appreciate people not poking fun at me at every opportunity / being able to carry on a conversation with my friends without them bringing **** up, that means I don't hate myself.
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I have nothing against large women (in fact, I find them just as fun as their thinner counterparts :) ). I'm just saying that if a guy dates a woman who most men consider to be unattractive, then he'll get teased for it - it's not like it's rocket science (although apparently these scientists have made it out to be).
And what I'm saying is the guy who lets the teasing get in the way of a good relationship has a problem with his own self esteem. The best relationship can be with the most unlikely partner, and the person who lets others opinion get in the way deserves to be alone. What I'm basically saying is don'tl let your friends choose you life for you. After all it's your life!
EDIT: On second thought, my original post was a tad harsh. I was simply saying that as an example of the population as a whole, not my personal life. I am quite content seeking a partner of my choice, whether or not she meets the approval of others.
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Just because it seems obvious doesn't mean it is.
QFE
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Heh, it's as much a media led thing as anything else. 200 years ago, it was considered sexy to have a few extra pounds. Even now, the media image of the stick-thin model is failing in favour of more 'normally' built girls.
Thing is, like men, women care what their peers think, peer pressure is far from a new discovery, and that is, in effect, all that they have discovered here. The simple fact that the female is smiling in the picture means that there is something about that person that pleases them, that will be registered by the watcher and stored for later use.
Even at school you'll notice how, when one person gets a girlfriend or boyfriend, they suddenly gain popularity, particularly if they are the partner of a popular person. That's not all teenage hormones at work. Having a partner is still recognised at a primal level as being 'success', you are, by definition, the Alpha Male to those in your group, the one with the mating rights. Even though the rules have changed, that kind of thinking still goes on in the hindbrain.
Basically, that means that when a woman sees a picture of another woman smiling at a man, she assumes this man is 'breedable', for want of a better word, whereas a neutral expression suggests that the person is not an Alpha male.
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Basically, that means that when a woman sees a picture of another woman smiling at a man, she assumes this man is 'breedable', for want of a better word, whereas a neutral expression suggests that the person is not an Alpha male.
Or in real words, rich or not rich. ;7 :p
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:( but :lol:
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i dont care on female looks, i love all females around my age for who they are, not who they are not.
ive been out with some tiny girls, well built, thin girls, athletic girls, larger girls, even girls with problems.
i dont have a problem with another person checking out a girl who i am about to go out with because there is alot more girls out there to check out, as the saying goes 'there is plenty more fish in the sea'.
other males look at me as a joke when i go out with a girl with problems, i dont care what they think, im going to have a good time with this girl, and help her if she has trouble, im not going to let other peoples reactions dicate my life.
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I have this horrible feeling at times that I'm setting myself up to fail because I tend to fall for girls who have depression issues. At times I think I'm looking for a girl to save.
And you know what? So far, I have failed. :sigh:
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Yeah, I've been given advice that dating to rescue will usually end up not working out.
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That would explain why that ODing heroin addict just kept foaming at the mouth when I told her I'm a Virgo. Some people are just a waste of your time.
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I have this horrible feeling at times that I'm setting myself up to fail because I tend to fall for girls who have depression issues. At times I think I'm looking for a girl to save.
And you know what? So far, I have failed. :sigh:
I blame Hollwywood for this. Men try to be heros these days, because the role of the male in the realitionship has diminished to a large degree over the years, men have to find other ways to prove how 'manly' they are. Hollywood provides a model of a man who runs to a woman's rescue when she is in distress to be a 'hero' and an instant hit with the girl in question.
In real life, it usually labels you as a mug who can be used as a ladder.
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I blame Hollwywood for this. Men try to be heros these days, because the role of the male in the realitionship has diminished to a large degree over the years, men have to find other ways to prove how 'manly' they are. Hollywood provides a model of a man who runs to a woman's rescue when she is in distress to be a 'hero' and an instant hit with the girl in question.
In real life, it usually labels you as a mug who can be used as a ladder.
Albeit Hollywood is really only modelling something that's existed for millenia anyways; isn't the notion of the bloke going out and working, and the woman being a housewife, simply an extension of this?
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I have this horrible feeling at times that I'm setting myself up to fail because I tend to fall for girls who have depression issues. At times I think I'm looking for a girl to save.
And you know what? So far, I have failed. :sigh:
I know how you feel. I've had people comment that I'm simply a magnet for girls (and people in general) with issues - I just met two lovely young ladies who both have depression issues. :doubt: Oh well, they're great people, so I'm not complaining.
And Flipside, er, that's not really Hollywood. That sort of "man-hero" mentality has been around for ages. Prince Charming, anyone?
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I would recommend everyone reading this to stay the hell away from women with depression issues.
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Hmmm... True, it all boils down to the 'man as the provider' ethos. But yeah, looking for someone to save is a bad idea, better to look for someone you can rely on to be there when you need saving, that way you can both be there for each other when you need it. :)
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Very interesting but true, I think most ordinary looking women are more easier going. Although I believe a lot of the time, being easy going has a lot to do with the way people are brought up. I think I am pretty easy going :D
I thought the study was a bit amusing :D
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depressed women are diffucult but can be salvaged from the pit of dispear, what i do is i ask them out, and when ive built up thier confidence enough, i let them dump me that way ive got the girl more happier and im alot more happier when i have done my task.
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:doubt: Right. No
inferior ulterior motives.
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depressed women are diffucult but can be salvaged from the pit of dispear, what i do is i ask them out, and when ive built up thier confidence enough, i let them dump me that way ive got the girl more happier and im alot more happier when i have done my task.
Ummm... Very kind and generous of you, shall I say?
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if you want
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I still think you're a looney :p
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When it comes to picking out a woman, there are three things: Attractiveness, availability, and mental stability. Now choose only two. :blah:
Mental stability would include some of the problems discussed in this thread, I believe. It's quite important.
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I deal with peoples emotional issues all the time, and it gets me nowhere... and usually if people can be pushed down that far, it has to do with underlying issues about how they view the world, not a given situation. People need to figure out things for themselves, the only thing you can do is keep them from doing anything stupid before they do.
I've gone out with downright disturbed people... it doesn't make them bad people, but it does make them extremely draining if they never return the favor and comfort you about your life occasionally... love shouldn't be a continually parasitic relationship, it should be symbiotic.
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My brother went out with this person who kept on trying to cut herself a while back.
There's some other pretty bad stuff about her that I probably shouldn't post here. I have no idea why my brother liked her.
:shaking:
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was she hot?
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I have this horrible feeling at times that I'm setting myself up to fail because I tend to fall for girls who have depression issues. At times I think I'm looking for a girl to save.
And you know what? So far, I have failed. :sigh:
I know how you feel. I've had people comment that I'm simply a magnet for girls (and people in general) with issues - I just met two lovely young ladies who both have depression issues. :doubt: Oh well, they're great people, so I'm not complaining.
And Flipside, er, that's not really Hollywood. That sort of "man-hero" mentality has been around for ages. Prince Charming, anyone?
I think it probably boils down to humanity having a very successful and capable procreation instinct that lets a large variety of different types of people (physically and mentally) be compatible. Even if its for a relatively short period of time. Modern sensibilities sort of gets in the way of some of this...but sometimes I think our instincts are pretty animalistic and basic and thats to ensure that there are more of us around than before. Sort of a "throw everything at the board and see what sticks" mentality. At 6 billion and growing...I think that instinct is still pretty strong :)
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My brother went out with this person who kept on trying to cut herself a while back.
There's some other pretty bad stuff about her that I probably shouldn't post here. I have no idea why my brother liked her.
:shaking:
Sometimes, I think, people are attracted to people who are emotionally fragile simply out of empathy or sympathy for them.
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*shrugs* And I'll admit I have the desire to rescue people, especially a girl in need. I like to feel needed.