Attraction is the emotional state that gives us feelings towards the opposite sex. It is a very complex and involves traits like beauty, personality, signals of good health, and a person's character. People often found to be most attractive have features including a SYMMETRICAL FACE, FACIAL FEATURES THAT SUGGEST HIGHER LEVELS OF CERTAIN HORMONEs, and a BODY SHAPE THAT SUGGESTS GOOD HEALTH AND FERTILITY.
SYMMETRY
One of the most common features associated with "traditional good looks" was FACIAL AND BODY SYMMETRY. Symmetrical features may be a visual signal of good genetics. The ability of cells to divide properly, helps to create a symmetrical face and body. It can visually show a potential mate that a person is freedom from disease and has overall good health.
Males were found to have the ability to judge symmetry much more rapidly than females. In evolutionary terms, quick judgment of symmetry through attraction, guides human beings to produce offspring with better health.
Biologically, it makes good sense to be attracted to a person with particular physical features. Symmetry in facial and bodily features can be seen as signals of good health and fertility. AN AFFINITY TOWARDS SYMMETRY WAS EVEN FOUND IN BABIES. ONE STUDY SHOWED THAT BABIES PLAYED LONGER WITH DOLLS THAT WERE CONSIDERED TO BE MORE ATTRACTIVE.
BODY SHAPE
Body type and shape were also found as visual cue towards attraction. IN WOMEN, THE WAIST TO HIP RATIO WAS FOUND TO BE A VERY SIGNIFICANT ATTRACTOR. In the 90s, a scientific study was done to discover the exact waist to hip ratio which was found most attractive by men. The study showed that a ratio of.07 was found to be most attractive to males. Some scientists believe that waist-to-hip ratios could be a signal of fertility in women. This study also showed a that a wide range of waist to hip ratios was found to be attractive by men. A ratio of 0.67 to 1.18 was the general range of attractiveness.
WAIST TO HIP RATIO IN MEN, WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE AN ATTRACTOR, BUT MUCH LESS SO. FEMALES WERE SHOW TO BE MORE ATTRACTED TO MUSCLES AND BROAD SHOULDERS THAN WAIST TO HIP RATIO.
Other studies showed that in addition to body type, the way in which man or woman carried themselves was also a big factor in attraction. Women who swayed their hips as they walked were found to be more attractive, while men who walked confidently with their shoulder were seen as more attractive.
HORMONALLY DRIVEN FACIAL FEATURES
In addition to the symmetry, HORMONALLY DRIVEN FACIAL FEATURES WERE ALSO FOUND TO INFLUENCE ATTRACTION. Levels of the hormones testosterone and estrogen are well known to affect the shape of the face in men and women. In women, the hormone estrogen stops bone growth in the area of the lower face. It also slows the growth of the brow, which results in eyes that appear larger.
On the other hand, in men, testosterone creates a large, squared jaw line. It also makes the brow grow more prominently.
Masculine features were also linked with dominance and success in reproduction. SOME STUDIES EVEN LINKED "DOMINANT" OR TESTOSTERONE DRIVEN FACIAL FEATURES TO SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE. Men with high testosterone features on average, attained a higher rank in the military.
- These dominant features also predicted the likelihood that a man will have extra-marital affairs.
Low testosterone facial features in men, were shown to evoke the perception of trust and honesty by women. In reality, men with these features were shown to exhibit these characteristics, as well as less aggression.
According to a research study done in 2008, levels of the hormone testosterone were found to significantly affect levels of attraction in both males and females. High testosterone males,tended to be attracted to women with more feminine facial features. They were also more likely to go after mates they perceived to be higher in quality.
TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN WOMEN ALSO INFLUENCED ATTRACTION. During periods of higher testosterone levels (which change with hormonal cycles), women were more attracted to men with masculine characteristics. When these levels dipped, these same women were more attracted to less masculine men.
Another interesting point to this study is that the attraction to a certain "type", often changed significantly over time. After a period of years, many of these subjects were attracted to completely different set of features.
SMELL
Most suprisingly, a person's smell was found to be a significant factor in attraction. MEN WITH SYMMETRICAL FEATURES WERE FOUND TO HAVE A MORE DESIRABLE SCENT, EVEN IN A BLIND TEST! One study showed that women gravitated towards the smell of men who had genes, dissimilar to their own. In evolutionary terms, this would promote genetic diversity and lead to healthier offspring.
Evidence has also been found to show that scents could predict a properly functioning immune system. Attraction in this case, may be exhibited towards a mate with a dissimilar immune system. In evolutionary terms, this would give offspring the advantage of exhibiting traits of the immune system from both the mother and father.
STUDIES ARE MIXED AS TO WHETHER PHEROMONES STILL PLAY A ROLE IN HUMAN ATTRACTION. Pheremones have been proven to attract or repel mates in the animal kingdom, but the organ called the volmeronasal organ which is known to sense these pheromones, no longer exists in humans.
Source: street-approach.blogspot.com
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