6 Scientific Facts About Attraction You Can Use The Next Time You Flirt With Someone

People aren’t smart enough about sex.

Not in the “one in six people don’t use a condom and it’s laying ruin to humanity” sense, but in the sense that there’s so much information provided to us on the topic through myriad studies and hours of research that we don’t use and we’re still shocked when we can’t get a number.

(Deep breath.)

I get it. It’s time-consuming, and psychological reports can be grouped with the likes of Latin and Fox News in ease of comprehension.

But just like algebra and English, there are facts and rules of thumb on the topic that we can use to our advantage.

1. Red is the all-powerful color of sex.

Because we equate the color to fertility, it triggers a primal sexual reaction in both men and women. It’s also been proven that people wearing the color are seen as possessing a higher economic status, despite the validity of that assumption.

2. The idea that men always make the first move is a fallacy.

90% of the time, a romantic encounter is spurred by a woman’s implicit flirting, like prolonged eye contact, small smiles, and open body language. So while a man might initiate discussion, 9 out of 10 times it’s because he’s been provided indication that discussion is desired.

3. Dogs actually do endear us to one another.

It’s common to overhear guys joking about using babies and small animals as boob bait but in multiple studies, the theory has rung true. Men were three times more likely to get a woman’s digits when a pup was accompanying him versus when he was riding solo.

4. Smell is far more important than appearance (for women).

A man’s smell is the most vital factor for a woman upon first contact; they actually appear more attractive to us when they smell good.

Smell also triggers the most emotion in people than any other sense so it’s possible you’ll get lucky and remind him of his favorite school crush or something. There are also a lot of creepy possibilities, like grandma, but stay away from tea rose and you should be good.

Contrarily, a female’s physical appearance remains dominant in the eyes of most men. Gender stereotypes abound.

5. There is (kind of) a universal body type for each sex.

Men are supposedly more attractive as a whole when they have “symmetrical” bodies and deep voices. I can honestly say that I know more women who prioritize charisma and the way a man carries himself but hey, who am I to argue?

There has been a much larger range of studies conducted on the “perfect” female form, which thanks to pop culture is widely discussed as being 36-24-36. In reality, it depends on the woman’s body itself; waist-to-hip ratio is important, but that ratio is much more complicated than the generic numbers specified above.

According to research on the topic, the waist should be about 30% smaller in circumference than the hips, and all jokes aside, though men will initially be drawn to a woman to check out cleavage, it’s that waist-to-hip ratio that they spend the most time ogling.

6. Mirroring is invaluable.

Women tend to replicate whatever facial expression they see in the person in front of them, as this is a bonding behavior that comes automatically. Men who adopt this behavior will be viewed more favorably.