The Science of Attraction

Some people wonder why the sight of a hot man or woman makes them get butterflies in their stomachs. Some things make you attracted to them. Here is what you need to know about the science of attraction: falling in love at first, men can determine a fertile woman, birth control pills may change a woman's preference for men, and personality matters.

Attraction works in mysterious ways like love. Several reasons determine who you become interested in and who you don't. Consider factors determining who you choose to attract; personality traits, values, morals, and physical appearance. People may not determine what draws them to certain people. Human biology has some answers on what happens when you feel attracted to someone at first sight. The following are some factors that determine who you are attracted to.

Falling in Love at  Smell

The Smell is an inappropriate way to describe sensing a person's pheromones. Pheromone is a type of chemical secreted in sweat and other bodily fluids. Pheromones are involved in sexual attraction in animals, and they also play a role in people. Releaser, also a type of pheromone, is likely involved in sexual attraction. There is communication below the level of consciousness, and a lot of it is affected by chemosignals. Some female participants were asked to smell men's sweaty shirts in one study s. The researchers found that women could determine how attractive a man is by smelling their shirts.

Men can Determine a Fertile Woman

Men have a way of determining fertility in a woman, probably because of her pheromones releasing a pleasant smell. A woman gives off a certain scent during the most fertile time of her menstrual cycle, making her attractive to male suitors. This phenomenon was investigated by researchers from the University of Texas at Austin. They asked several women to wear shirts to sleep during their fertile and infertile points in their menstrual cycles. They asked men to smell the shirts and identify which ones they found more pleasing. Surprisingly, they chose the shirts worn by the fertile women to be more gratifying and sexy.

A woman may also appear more attractive to a man when she's most fertile. One study asked several men to look at two pictures of a particular woman, when she was most fertile and least fertile, to assess which picture looked more attractive. 60 percent of the men assigned to this task rated the pictures of the women at peak fertility.

A man can also determine how attractive a woman is from her voice. A recent study found that women sound more seductive during the most fertile point in their menstrual cycle.

Women Assess Markers of Masculinity.

According to Springer & Mouzon (2011), some women prefer masculine men because their features are indicators of manliness and good health. Women have evolved to seek out manliness, but that does not mean that is all they prefer. However, not all women prefer masculine men. Women in underdeveloped areas prefer masculine men, while women from developed areas prefer feminine-looking men. Some men are well fed while others are slender. This difference entails masculinity.

Birth Control Pills May Change a Woman's Preference for Men.

Hormonal contraception may affect women's preferences for sexual partners. The Smell of a man informs a woman about his major histocompatibility complex genes (MHC), which play a vital role in immune system function. According to Penn  & Potts (1998), women prefer men with different MHC genes from theirs because children with diverse MHC profiles are likely to have a healthy and strong immune system. Nevertheless, research shows that women's birth control pills prefer men with similar MHC genes to theirs. No one knows why this happens.

Changing hormonal contraception usage may affect a woman's sexual attraction toward her male partner. Women who had met their partners while on the pill and were still using it and those who had never taken the pill were reported to have been more sexually satisfied than women who had started or stopped taking the pill in the relationship.

Personality Matters

Looks are not everything. Personal characteristics play a major role in determining how attractive or not someone is. For instance, kindness can make someone more attractive and likable. According to Little et al. (2006), personality traits determine how attractive or not people are. Researchers asked a group of participants to rate photos of women's faces in impartial expressions. After some time, they were asked to assess the same photos, but half of those pictures had positive personality descriptions, and the other half had negative personality descriptions. The pictures with positive personality descriptions got the highest ratings for attractiveness, whereas the photos with negative descriptions were ranked least attractive. It indicates that personality traits may determine one's attractiveness.

Self Disclosure

There are plenty of explanations for attraction. One common explanation is self-disclosure, whereby initial interactions determine how attractive a person is. According to Pennebaker (2012), you are more likely to get attracted to someone who opens up to you than a secretive one.

The one You're Attracted to is a Personal Matter.

Everyone has a personal love map that determines who they are attracted to. These personal maps vary from one person to the other. Different things turn people on. Big breasts might be attractive to one person but may not be to another person. Some men attract long and thin legs while others are short and thick. Skin texture and color are vital to attraction. However, most people prefer averageness. Individuals and cultures have standards for what they consider attractive, but there are universal or general qualities that everyone looks for, such as general appearance, cleanliness, and health.

Conclusion

The attraction between humans is complex and influenced by many factors, like our environment and appearance. This complexity makes it difficult to pick out precise scientific reasons that attract you to some people and not others. Biology plays a big role in attraction, but what we find attractive depends on personal or environmental factors. Discover what aspects attract you to others or make people get attracted to you when you meet.

References

Little, A. C., Burt, D. M., & Perrett, D. I. (2006). What Is Good Is Beautiful: Face Preference Reflects The Desired Personality. Personality And Individual Differences, 41(6), 1107-1118.

Pennebaker, J. W. (2012). Opening Up: The Healing Power Of Expressing Emotions. Guilford Press.

Penn, D., & Potts, W. (1998). MHC–Disassortative Mating Preferences Reversed By Cross–Fostering. Proceedings Of The Royal Society Of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 265(1403), 1299-1306.

Springer, K. W., & Mouzon, D. M. (2011). "Macho Men" And Preventive Health Care: Implications For Older Men In Different Social Classes. Journal Of Health And Social Behavior, 52(2), 212-227.