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posted by LaminatorX on Tuesday July 22 2014, @03:55PM   Printer-friendly
from the what-you-lookin-at?-oh-my! dept.

New research from the University of Chicago suggests that where people look at you suggests whether they are interested in love or in lust.

Soul singer Betty Everett once proclaimed, “If you want to know if he loves you so, it’s in his kiss.” But a new study by University of Chicago researchers suggests the difference between love and lust might be in the eyes after all.

Specifically, where your date looks at you could indicate whether love or lust is in the cards. The new study found that eye patterns concentrate on a stranger’s face if the viewer sees that person as a potential partner in romantic love, but the viewer gazes more at the other person’s body if he or she is feeling sexual desire. That automatic judgment can occur in as little as half a second, producing different gaze patterns.

Male and female students from the University of Geneva viewed a series of black-and-white photographs of persons they had never met. In part one of the study, participants viewed photos of young, adult heterosexual couples who were looking at or interacting with each other. In part two, participants viewed photographs of attractive individuals of the opposite sex who were looking directly at the camera/viewer. None of the photos contained nudity or erotic images.

People tended to visually fixate on the face, especially when they said an image elicited a feeling of romantic love. However, with images that evoked sexual desire, the subjects’ eyes moved from the face to fixate on the rest of the body. The effect was found for male and female participants.

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  • (Score: 2, Redundant) by dyingtolive on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:05PM

    by dyingtolive (952) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:05PM (#72326)

    Scientists report water is wet. One scientist remarked, "You know, we'd think we would have caught that years before. Huh." He was then reported as turning away and gleefully autoclaving a hamster while furiously scribbling "The ides are wide." over and over on a piece of paper attached to a clipboard.

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for moose wang!
    • (Score: 2) by AnonTechie on Tuesday July 22 2014, @07:55PM

      by AnonTechie (2275) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @07:55PM (#72448) Journal

      I read this article a couple of days ago. I didn't think Soylintils would be interested. Anyways, to each his (or, her) own !!!

      --
      Albert Einstein - "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
  • (Score: 2, Redundant) by bob_super on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:06PM

    by bob_super (1357) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:06PM (#72327)

    - Hey, I need to publish or perish, gimme an obvious idea to study, girl!
      - [sigh] Dude, my eyes are up here!
      - Wow!, you're a genius!

  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:40PM

    by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @04:40PM (#72343) Journal

    They could have asked any guy this and gotten the correct answ---

    ---WOW, look at her butt... the way it----

    ...sorry... where was I??????

    --
    --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:03PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:03PM (#72354)

    I'd like to know if prosopagnosia [wikipedia.org] changes these patterns. It is a spectrum condition but in general people with face blindness have to use other physical characteristics besides facial structure in order to identify people. So it seems logical that they would be conditioned to spend a lot more time looking at other body parts regardless of the type of attraction.

    • (Score: 2) by umafuckitt on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:49PM

      by umafuckitt (20) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:49PM (#72379)

      Yes, I think it does. People with that disorder use other things to identify others, such as hair and clothes.

  • (Score: 0, Redundant) by Adamsjas on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:15PM

    by Adamsjas (4507) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @05:15PM (#72359)

    Hey, My EYES are up HERE mister!

  • (Score: 2) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Tuesday July 22 2014, @07:13PM

    by PizzaRollPlinkett (4512) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @07:13PM (#72417)

    Do people really lust after black-and-white photographs?

    --
    (E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
  • (Score: 1) by whathappenedtomonday on Tuesday July 22 2014, @07:45PM

    by whathappenedtomonday (4292) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @07:45PM (#72442)

    The fine study gives a whole new meaning to being cross-eyed. I really do hope my eyes know what to do when a girl makes me both romantic and horny.

    --
    I hope I didn't brain my damage.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 22 2014, @11:32PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 22 2014, @11:32PM (#72539)

      Some couples are lucky enough that it lasts until one of them dies.

      -- gewg_

  • (Score: 1) by Wootery on Tuesday July 22 2014, @11:22PM

    by Wootery (2341) on Tuesday July 22 2014, @11:22PM (#72536)

    Unless I'm missing something, TFA only discusses the difference in eye-patterns between lust, and the absence of lust. Love doesn't seem to enter into the equation.

    • (Score: 1) by Wootery on Wednesday July 23 2014, @09:19AM

      by Wootery (2341) on Wednesday July 23 2014, @09:19AM (#72678)

      Hmm. Could've sworn I'd posted this before, but: on re-reading, I see that I'm spouting nonsense.