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Happy guys finish last, says new study on sexual attractiveness
University of British Columbia ^ | May 24, 2011 | Unknown

Posted on 05/24/2011 8:05:22 AM PDT by decimon

Women find happy guys significantly less sexually attractive than swaggering or brooding men, according to a new University of British Columbia study that helps to explain the enduring allure of "bad boys" and other iconic gender types.

The study – which may cause men to smile less on dates, and inspire online daters to update their profile photos – finds dramatic gender differences in how men and women rank the sexual attractiveness of non-verbal expressions of commonly displayed emotions, including happiness, pride, and shame.

Very few studies have explored the relationship between emotions and attraction, and this is the first to report a significant gender difference in the attractiveness of smiles. The study, published online today in the American Psychological Association journal Emotion, is also the first to investigate the attractiveness of displays of pride and shame.

"While showing a happy face is considered essential to friendly social interactions, including those involving sexual attraction – few studies have actually examined whether a smile is, in fact, attractive," says Prof. Jessica Tracy of UBC's Dept. of Psychology. "This study finds that men and women respond very differently to displays of emotion, including smiles."

In a series of studies, more than 1,000 adult participants rated the sexual attractiveness of hundreds of images of the opposite sex engaged in universal displays of happiness (broad smiles), pride (raised heads, puffed-up chests) and shame (lowered heads, averted eyes).

The study found that women were least attracted to smiling, happy men, preferring those who looked proud and powerful or moody and ashamed. In contrast, male participants were most sexually attracted to women who looked happy, and least attracted to women who appeared proud and confident.

"It is important to remember that this study explored first-impressions of sexual attraction to images of the opposite sex," says Alec Beall, a UBC psychology graduate student and study co-author. "We were not asking participants if they thought these targets would make a good boyfriend or wife – we wanted their gut reactions on carnal, sexual attraction." He says previous studies have found positive emotional traits and a nice personality to be highly desirable in a relationship partners.

Tracy and Beall say that other studies suggest that what people find attractive has been shaped by centuries of evolutionary and cultural forces. For example, evolutionary theories suggest females are attracted to male displays of pride because they imply status, competence and an ability to provide for a partner and offspring.

According to Beall, the pride expression accentuates typically masculine physical features, such as upper body size and muscularity. "Previous research has shown that these features are among the most attractive male physical characteristics, as judged by women," he says.

The researchers say more work is needed to understand the differing responses to happiness, but suggest the phenomenon can also be understood according to principles of evolutionary psychology, as well as socio-cultural gender norms.

For example, past research has associated smiling with a lack of dominance, which is consistent with traditional gender norms of the "submissive and vulnerable" woman, but inconsistent with "strong, silent" man, the researchers say. "Previous research has also suggested that happiness is a particularly feminine-appearing expression," Beall adds.

"Generally, the results appear to reflect some very traditional gender norms and cultural values that have emerged, developed and been reinforced through history, at least in Western cultures," Tracy says. "These include norms and values that many would consider old-fashioned and perhaps hoped that we've moved beyond."

Displays of shame, Tracy says, have been associated with an awareness of social norms and appeasement behaviors, which elicits trust in others. This may explain shame's surprising attractiveness to both genders, she says, given that both men and women prefer a partner they can trust.

While this study focused on sexual attraction between heterosexual men and women in North America, the researchers say future studies will be required to explore the relationship between emotions and sexual attractiveness among homosexuals and non-Western cultures.

Overall, the researchers found that men ranked women more attractive than women ranked men.


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To: Rebelbase
Never understood why women were attracted to dirt bags.

In a word: excitement. Women want everything, but what they want the most is excitement.

41 posted on 05/24/2011 9:45:40 AM PDT by numberonepal (Yes We Cain! Cain is able.)
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To: Rebelbase

“Never understood why women were attracted to dirt bags.”

They want to fix or nurture them.


42 posted on 05/24/2011 9:48:10 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (2008 was about words; 2012 will be about numbers)
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To: Vigilantcitizen
Now we all know that no matter how ugly or deficient in game a man might be, having musical talent has been getting the aforementioned men laid for centuries.

Even Shane MacGowan, of The Pogues, gets laid.


43 posted on 05/24/2011 9:48:59 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: EricT.

My wife (unfortunately) all really enjoy it when I manage to hurt myself. Whether it’s stubbing my toe, hitting my thumb with a hammer, tripping over the cat/dog/children, she laughs. Out loud.

Where’s my money for a study of this phenomenon?


44 posted on 05/24/2011 9:55:58 AM PDT by Ro_Thunder (I sure hope there is a New Morning in America soon. All this hope and change is leaving me depressed)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

bttt


45 posted on 05/24/2011 9:56:48 AM PDT by ConservativeMan55
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To: decimon; MotleyGirl70; Cagey; Mr. Brightside; earlJam; Rb ver. 2.0; lesser_satan; Taffini; jdm; ...

George: Jerry?

Cheryl: I’m very attracted to him.

George: You think the person you were talking to is him? That’s not even close to him. He’s funny, Jerry’s funny.

Cheryl: He never said anything funny.

George: He can’t not be funny.

Cheryl: No no no, he’s dark. And disturbed.

George: Dark and disturbed? His whole life revolves around Superman and cereal. I convinced him to act like that so that you would think I was funnier. That’s how disturbed I am! If you want disturbed, that’s disturbed. You can’t find sickness like that anywhere, you think sickness like that grows on trees? Nobody is sicker than me, nobody. He’s pretending, I’m the genuine article.


46 posted on 05/24/2011 10:02:13 AM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: Gen-X-Dad

After my divorce and absolute refusal to remarry, I used to ask women in Bars; “What would you do if civilization Collapsed tomorrow?”

Most of them would like a thug that stood before the cave door, club in hand, to protect her while she nursed her babies. Provided he only beat her once a week.


47 posted on 05/24/2011 10:16:18 AM PDT by Little Bill (Sorry)
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To: RandallFlagg
"My reply was, "Cool. I just got my concealed carry license."

She said, "Cool," and suddenly had to leave. "

LOL

Give her some credit. She knows a stoned dude pack'n heat is not a good combination.

48 posted on 05/24/2011 10:52:31 AM PDT by FW190
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To: decimon

Ironically, “happy nice guys” also tend to be time bombs.


49 posted on 05/24/2011 11:00:02 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: FW190

Heh! Good point.


50 posted on 05/24/2011 11:00:24 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Let this chant follow BHO everywhere he goes: "You lie. You lie. You lie.")
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To: decimon

Just an observation, going back to my adolescence, and on up. The worse guys treated girls/ women, the more they came back for.


51 posted on 05/24/2011 11:20:11 AM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: decimon
The study found that women were least attracted to smiling, happy men, preferring those who looked proud and powerful or moody and ashamed

Proud and powerful, as in Obama and other elected scumbags? Ick! Pride (aka arrogance) is not attractive.

Moody guys are annoying. You have to walk on eggshells around them.

Ashamed? Not interested in a guy who has a guilt complex and is ashamed all the time.

I like guys who are happy and positive.

What kind of women did they pick for this study, anyway?

52 posted on 05/24/2011 1:17:27 PM PDT by Luna (Evil will not triumph. God is at the helm.)
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To: RandallFlagg

If there was a “like” button on FR, I would have clicked it for that post.


53 posted on 05/24/2011 1:27:33 PM PDT by Antoninus (Fair warning to the GOP--nominate a RINO and I'm going 3rd party.)
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To: decimon

I grew up with guys who were moody and ashamed. Give me a proud, confident smile any day!!


54 posted on 05/24/2011 4:56:59 PM PDT by Ellendra (Remember the Battle of Athens, Tennessee: Aug. 2, 1946)
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To: Luna

Who knows? 70 years ago if a guy walked around with a chip he’d have gotten his chops busted, and ended up with the wrong kind of girl.

I was raised to be nice and smile and be funny, but also serious and ambitious and hard working. Old school nice though - screw with me too much and I’m likely to take your head clean off. Women used to like those things even 25 years ago. A guy that knew what to be and when to be it.

Not anymore. I think Hollywood has completely screwed up women in the head.


55 posted on 05/24/2011 6:22:30 PM PDT by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! You can vote Democrat when you're dead.)
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To: Ellendra
I grew up with guys who were moody and ashamed. Give me a proud, confident smile any day!!

I took a look at the series of pictures they used in the survey. The guy has a nervous "please don't hit me" smile. That might be why it was a turn-off for the girls.

Meanwhile the girl has a sort-of "come over here and rip my clothes off" smile.

56 posted on 05/24/2011 7:03:53 PM PDT by PapaBear3625 ("It is only when we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything" -- Fight Club)
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To: EricT.

Foolish women do; wise women do not.


57 posted on 05/24/2011 7:31:00 PM PDT by Immerito (Reading Through the Bible in 90 Days)
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To: PzLdr

Dumb women go back for more; wise women either avoid those guys to begin with or get out of the relationship.


58 posted on 05/24/2011 7:37:54 PM PDT by Immerito (Reading Through the Bible in 90 Days)
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To: RandallFlagg
James Dean


59 posted on 05/25/2011 2:27:43 AM PDT by Rudder (The Main Stream Media is Our Enemy---get used to it.)
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To: RandallFlagg
Marlon Brando


60 posted on 05/25/2011 2:30:15 AM PDT by Rudder (The Main Stream Media is Our Enemy---get used to it.)
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