This may explain why all of those '80s hair bands never smiled on their album covers, yet seemed to get all the chicks.
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.
Put your worst foot forward.
So women really do like to see men being miserable?
I have always wondered but dared not ask.
If happy guys finish last do happy women come first?
wow.. another study.. (thanks for posting by the way, I did find it interesting).. I guess this is the final word now, until the next study.
Alert CNN!!!....Women liike men to be miserable
The article suggests so.
Never understood why women were attracted to dirt bags.
Because they're disposable? ;-)
I’m curious who they used for their subjects. And, they use photos, not real people. Do these studies really mean anything? I think these studies are just a way to get funding for the folks who do the them.
At any rate, every woman I’ve ever known who was attracted to bad boys had bad marriage after bad marriage. So, I think this is a crock. Or maybe it just explains stupid women.
They missed out something important here for men. Both “smiley-happy” and “broody-nasty” are expressive emotional states, but one that is a severe turn-off is “neutral-stoic-indifferent”.
Male faces tend to be more expressive than female faces, which is recognized by both genders. An under-expressive male, or over-expressive female face are seen as more androgynous.
Like among some animals, human females use various forms of display to attract male attention, and males respond strongly to female displays. Some females get very addicted to any form of attention, be it friendly or even hostile. And many males desperately seek female display, often in the form of pornography and strip clubs.
"Sometimes not at all." - Austin Powers
Paragraph 6...
I could see some women not being attracted to men who are happier then they are. It may leave them feeling powerless.
I could see some women not being attracted to men who are happier then they are. It may leave them feeling powerless and not needed.
great question.
They maintain friendship with the nice guys, should moving or home maintenance become necessary.
This is just an observation, not a statement of fact. I also found that other than grocery shopping on Thursday, the best way to meet girls is walking a puppy.
Wanna know how to get hit on more than you ever have? Be a happy man in a great relationship with the woman of your dreams. Be the man that every woman in your circle knows never betrays his woman...never hits on them behind his woman's back...never takes every opportunity to give knowing glances when those lady friends flirtingly bend over to show their cleavage.
That guy gets hit on so much it gets old, but what those women don't realize is, that guy doesn't go for their type.
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