st try. Put a small amount of conscious effort into trying to be a better friend, spouse, whatever. That's it. Sounds ridiculous but research shows: Improving any relationship is as easy as actively showing interest in the other person or sharing with them. Pretending time with a romantic partner was a first date makes it more enjoyable for you and for your partner. Why? On first dates we make an effort to impress. Racists actually make a better first impression…
e key to being liked and being more influential is similarity. You like names better when they are similar to yours. You even prefer brands that merely share your initials. Birthdays are easier to remember when they are closer to yours. You even prefer people who move the way you do. Demonstrating that you have something in common with someone else makes them more likely to help you. Salesmen deliberately fake little similarities in order to influence you and connect…
e smell of pastries and coffee made women more likely to give out their phone number. (Hat tip: Jon Sutton) Studies have shown that pleasant scents favor positive social relationships. However, the effect of pleasant ambient odor on romantic relationships has never been tested. In a field experiment, 18–25 year old women walking alone in a shopping mall were approached by an attractive 20 year old male-confederate who solicited them for their phone number. The women were solicited as they…
1 million Americans between the ages of 25 and 40 are still virgins. "...among 25-year-olds, 28% of men but only 2% of women were in this category of 'reluctant virgins.'" Studies show that swapping controversial stories like how you lost your virginity makes for a better first date. People with sexy voices lose their virginity earlier than most. Losing your virginity early doesn't make you more of a sexual risk-taker later in life. Losing it too late does put you at…
e most creative teams are a mix of old friends and new blood. Teams benefit from a mix of women and men. What makes teams smart is social skills, not IQ. Women generally have keener emotional intelligence and are a valuable asset to a group of males. 5-to-1 is the magic ratio. The most successful teams had 5 positive interactions for every negative one. This is also the same ratio that made for happy marriages. It's true that a team…
n are more likely to date women with the same eye color as their mom. Women are more likely to date men with the same eye color as their father. Via In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction: The single best predictor for partners’ eye colour was the eye colour of the parent of the opposite sex. Thus, if a woman’s mother had blue eyes and if her father had brown eyes, she would be most likely to…
Ladies: have a guy take the photo. Via In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction: ...women are subsequently judged more attractive in shots taken by a male photographer than in shots taken by a female photographer. 2) Guys: talk with a friendly girl before the picture is taken. Via In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction: ...photographs taken after five minutes’ chat with a sociable female, men looked significantly happier; they were also voted…
mmetry. (The more the left side of a man's body matches the right side, the more symmetrical he is. Take a close look at your face in the mirror and you'll notice that the two sides are not perfect twins.) Symmetry is a sign of good genes and one of the cornerstones of physical beauty. Via In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction: Men with symmetrical bodies apparently have a higher IQ, they run faster, dance better, sing…
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