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- Romantic attraction is one of the universe’s greatest mysteries.
- We found 11 science-supported traits that women who are attracted to men find irresistible.
- Note that these types of studies are often small, rely on self-reported feelings, and not very diverse.
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Studies from Evolutionary Psychology and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found women typically choose better-looking guys for flings, not long-term relationships.
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Scientists have found a sense of humor makes men seem more intelligent, according to studies from Intelligence and Personal Relationships.
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For long-term relationships, women tend to prefer altruistic men who are kind and do good deeds, according to a study from The Journal of Social Psychology.
Another study from 2019 that surveyed 68,000 people in 180 countries found 88.9% of women considered “kindness” a very important trait in a partner.
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In studies from the British Journal of Psychology and Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, women chose men posing in front of expensive cars or apartments, versus ordinary ones, possibly because they make the men appear rich.
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Women may like older men because they’ve had time to accumulate more resources, according to a study in Evolutionary Psychology.
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Facial hair has been an attraction and a repellent in studies, so that feature is likely based on preference, a study from Behavioral Ecology concluded.
Do what you want with your face; you’ll attract the right mate.
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Older research concluded that people liked when other people liked them, but modern studies have found that “playing hard to get” could be an effective tactic, according to studies published in Psychological Science and the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
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Small studies have indicated that men with dogs do better with the ladies, according to Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals and Journal of Evolutionary Psychology.
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In one speed-dating experiment, women were more attracted to men who were mindful — present, attentive, and nonjudgmental.
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Women around the world perceived men as more attractive when they wore red, according to one study from the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
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Women have rated men higher who take heroic and sometimes primal risks. These include saving people’s lives, hunting for food, and playing with fire, according to a study from the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.