Attraction can be tricky, which is part of why dating is so tough.
While a vast array of studies have revealed that a person's attraction to others is based
on many different factors, there are some behaviors that have been proven to attract
other people the most and that you should adopt ASAP.
Volunteering not only helps your community, but it's also been found to benefit your health
and attractiveness.
As part of a 2013 study, researchers polled men and women and asked them to rate the attractiveness
of people demonstrating a "helping" behavior and people demonstrating another type of behavior.
Those engaged in helping behaviors, both men and women, were rated as significantly more
attractive as long-term partners.
When it came to short-term relationships, altruism also had a positive effect on the
attractiveness of men, but not of women.
A woman's volunteer spirit is apparently a non-factor for men seeking a fling.
"I volunteer!
I volunteer!"
Sorry, Katniss!
Playing coy seems like a solid strategy, but if you're going to flirt, it's totally okay
to be up front about what you're doing.
"Hey you guys…
I seem to be lost.
Can you guys help me?"
And, as it turns out, some of the movements that naturally attract men might already feel
natural to you.
Helen E. Fisher, an anthropologist and human behavior researcher, wrote:
Fisher revealed that men often use a "chest thrust" or a way of "standing tall" when flirting.
Additionally, anthropologist David Givens and biologist Timothy Perper analyzed the
flirting patterns of Americans and found that men also exaggerate their body movements to
draw attention to themselves.
"Wow.
Intense."
Could the car you choose to drive and the apartment you choose to rent impact your love
life?
In a 2014 study, volunteers were asked to rate the attractiveness of a man or woman
pictured standing in either a luxury apartment or a run-of-the-mill apartment.
The study revealed:
"The male model was rated significantly more attractive when presented to females in the
high status compared to the neutral status context."
In an earlier study, a similar test was conducted with a high-status vehicle, a Bentley Continental
GT, and a neutral-status vehicle, a red Ford Fiesta ST.
Men who appeared to own the Bentley were perceived as significantly more attractive.
As was the case in the 2014 study, status didn't affect how the men rated the women's
attractiveness.
Ladies, if you've found yourself swiping left for men in Ford Fiestas, now you know why.
"Wow."
"Seven bucks will probably cover it, right?"
"You keep that.
You might need it."
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say, but your eyes are actually even more
powerful than that.
By adjusting your gaze, you have the ability to attract another person.
Anthropologist and behavior expert Helen E. Fisher wrote:
After locking eyes for those few vital seconds, you'll want to look away.
Or, you know, you might completely freak the person out.
This type of eyes-only communication has been dubbed the "copulatory" gaze, and, well, you
can probably guess why.
According to Fisher, this form of eye contact causes an almost instantaneous reaction.
"I am being assertive, and I am making eye contact, and it is achieving results."
The benefits of mindfulness are abundant.
According to the American Psychological Association, mindfulness can reduce stress, increase your
focus and memory, and even boost your relationship satisfaction.
A 2015 study also proved that mindfulness has the ability to influence romantic attraction.
Say what?
Through a speed-dating experiment, researchers from the School of Psychology at the University
of Queensland and the School of Psychology and Public Health at La Trobe University in
Australia reviewed the effects of "dispositional mindfulness" on attraction.
Essentially, that's someone who is both aware of and considers their thoughts and feelings
while in the moment.
By the end of the study, the psychologists found that women were more attracted to men
who had a higher level of dispositional mindfulness.
The male participants, however, were still more attracted to women who they considered
"more physically attractive."
That said, this was the first time a study like this had been conducted.
Could men eventually become more attracted to mindfulness than physical looks?
Hmm.
Experts at the University of Southern California polled 10,000 men and women from all over
the world and determined which qualities made a person most attractive.
The survey revealed that an overwhelming percentage of people 75 percent, to be exact rated courage
as even more important than confidence.
Likewise, risk-taking was also found to be "super sexy."
But how does one demonstrate courage to a potential partner?
Perhaps the easiest way is to incorporate courage into your everyday life.
Sure, it can help you in the dating game, but there are plenty of benefits outside of
that especially when it comes to your career.
According to Forbes, speaking up at a meeting, even when you're the only woman in the room,
setting boundaries with coworkers, and making time for self-care are just a few ways to
exercise courage on a regular basis.
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