Much is made these days of the modern dating scene, such as online profiles or speed dating events. What those things have in common is that initial dating choices are heavily influenced by visual cues picked up after only meeting for a few minutes, or from quickly flipping through profile pictures. A paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examined the effect of body language on modern dating success. They looked at both speed dating and online dating and found that initial dating success correlated with the "openness" of the body posture, such as a wide stance and open arms. They suggest that an open posture projects an aura of dominance, which potential mates could find more attractive.
This set of studies tested whether humans are more attracted to individuals displaying their bodies expansively, a behavior considered to express both dominance and openness. Results from two field studies—a speed-dating event and a controlled experiment using a Global Positioning System-based dating application—suggested that (i) expansive (vs. contractive) body posture increases one's romantic desirability; (ii) these results are consistent across gender; and (iii) perceived dominance and perceived openness are mechanisms through which expansiveness exerts its effect. These findings indicate that in modern-day dating contexts, in which initial attraction often is determined by a rapid decision following a brief interaction or seeing a photograph, displays of expansive posture increase one's chances of initial romantic success.
The abstract from the paper:
[Continues...]
Across two field studies of romantic attraction, we demonstrate that postural expansiveness makes humans more romantically appealing. In a field study (n = 144 speed-dates), we coded nonverbal behaviors associated with liking, love, and dominance. Postural expansiveness—expanding the body in physical space—was most predictive of attraction, with each one-unit increase in coded behavior from the video recordings nearly doubling a person's odds of getting a "yes" response from one's speed-dating partner. In a subsequent field experiment (n = 3,000), we tested the causality of postural expansion (vs. contraction) on attraction using a popular Global Positioning System-based online-dating application. Mate-seekers rapidly flipped through photographs of potential sexual/date partners, selecting those they desired to meet for a date. Mate-seekers were significantly more likely to select partners displaying an expansive (vs. contractive) nonverbal posture. Mediation analyses demonstrate one plausible mechanism through which expansiveness is appealing: Expansiveness makes the dating candidate appear more dominant. In a dating world in which success sometimes is determined by a split-second decision rendered after a brief interaction or exposure to a static photograph, single persons have very little time to make a good impression. Our research suggests that a nonverbal dominance display increases a person's chances of being selected as a potential mate.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @09:22AM
YES! Finally the secret to human relations is revealed! INSTANT BODY LANGUAGE!
Don't get to know each other. Don't build a circle of friends. Don't be friendly to strangers.
Just CLICKBAIT YOUR SHIT UP.
fuck this faggot website is going downhill like a kamikaze pilot.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @09:46AM
Sad to hear you don't care for science or dating. And that you have your ideas how the world works and are not willing to learn new things. The cue is short and instead of whining like somebody is removing your molar you should make some Quality submissions. Or at least make sensible comments without faggots and kamikaze... but I know, it's hard so you won't.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @10:52AM
This study* would suggest that you are predisposed or perhaps pre-conditioned to provide positive bias towards submissions which are written in a formal tone and provide undue negative bias towards comments which slam your fuckass flaming faggotry for believing in fucksided fuckhag "studies" which fucking try to fucking define fucking shit like fucking sexual attraction into faggot fucking equations.
I hope to god someone sells sex equations in a can because fuckwits like you will make them rich.
*you're a dumbass.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @10:43PM
I care about science, which is why I don't like bad science that tries to make claims about subjective matters when there are countless alternative conclusions that could be reached.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Wednesday March 30 2016, @10:05AM
Yes, charm and grace are also key components.
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @10:55AM
I hope you're being ironic.
You do know that your post signature and username refers to a serial killer, right? Please god don't be a dumbass.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @11:29AM
Fictional humorous character is a serial killer!
News at 11!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @12:01PM
Yeah that's not how "news at 11" works. Homer simpson is a humorus character but not a serial killer.
If you had a sense of humor you'd see the irony in a serial killer fanboy getting upset over someone being impolite.
NEWS AT ELEVEN!!!!!1
(Score: 5, Funny) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Wednesday March 30 2016, @12:19PM
That's ALLEGED serial killer. I ain't never been caught.
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @09:56PM
Me either
(Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Wednesday March 30 2016, @10:49AM
We'll improve the site immediately after you leave. That was our plan all along.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @10:57AM
Your plan was to post articles worse than slashdot and reject anyone who points out their obvious bullshit?
Or was this whole effort just to avoid people speaking loosely?
(Score: 4, Funny) by PizzaRollPlinkett on Wednesday March 30 2016, @10:59AM
You got to love the Internet. Only on the Internet could an article about ... romance ... turn into a "clickbait faggot" thread with an emphasis on using the word "dumbass" as much as possible. This one should have come out on Valentine's Day!
(E-mail me if you want a pizza roll!)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @11:00AM
What's wrong with your faaace?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday March 31 2016, @10:16AM
Yeah, man, that was a few days early. April Fool's Day is Friday. Editorial error.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @11:45AM
WUVV U
💞😍💕
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @11:57AM
But you haven't seen my excellent body language! Clearly you don't understand the modern dating scene, such as online profiles or speed dating events.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @04:26PM
U CHANGED 😕
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @12:51PM
The queue is low - even I had to send in a blurb.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @07:18PM
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science is a clickbait site?
You really are as stupid as your post makes you out to be.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @11:52AM
So getting fat (that is, expanding the body in physical space) makes you more attractive? ;-)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @06:28PM
Not sure. Maybe they had a very specific part of the male body in mind instead.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @12:43PM
Is yet another male activity that women claim to hate yet secretly love?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Zinho on Wednesday March 30 2016, @03:16PM
So "Manspreading" . . . is yet another male activity that women claim to hate yet secretly love?
Yes.
And not only that, but men secretly love when women do it, to.
"Space Exploration is not endless circles in low earth orbit." -Buzz Aldrin
(Score: 5, Funny) by curunir_wolf on Wednesday March 30 2016, @03:47PM
I am a crackpot
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @05:15PM
G.G. Allin sang about it: Spread Your Legs, Part Your Lips [lyricsmode.com].
(Score: 2) by bitstream on Wednesday March 30 2016, @03:41PM
What one ought to realize is what a lot of people say and do are different things. So it's better observe behavior than to take people for their words. In too many cases people aren't even aware of what they actually do but will tell you whatever their brain generate as a response..
One example ought to be that film that supposedly is degrading but highly popular with the soft gender and have something about some gray scale ;-)
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday March 31 2016, @10:22AM
In my early days I was much too shy and self-conscious to chat women up, which is an all-too common affliction among young nerds. Later I came to live overseas and witty turn of phrase wasn't a factor any more--it was all body language. Did quite alright, then. Other young (or older) nerds suffering the same dynamic might consider doing likewise. My wife's cousins tell her South Korea is going through its sexual revolution now, so that might be a good destination.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @05:41PM
women claim to hate yet secretly love?
Should be: "Wymmin claim to hate...", and wymmin don't love anything, no even fellow SJWs.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 31 2016, @05:57AM
Stop whining and grow a pair.
(Score: 2) by meustrus on Wednesday March 30 2016, @02:18PM
The abstract is interesting but I do not see the reasoning behind making this all about "dominance". That sounds like some kind of psychological extrapolation, a further hypothesis which is very difficult to test. It certainly does not belong right next to the actually-studied effect of an open posture.
If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
(Score: 1) by termigator on Wednesday March 30 2016, @04:08PM
Open posture may indicate confidence, not dominance, IMHO. Doubt that most find a dominating behavior attractive (unless you are into that kind of thing), but confidence can be attractive.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday March 30 2016, @11:07PM
Dominant men are almost always attractive to women.
(Score: 1) by Mike on Friday April 01 2016, @03:53PM
Open posture may indicate confidence, not dominance...
It could also just mean openness, which would likely be more attractive than closed off.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @05:21PM
Uncrossing the legs has been interpreted as flirtatious, if a woman does it.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/nonverbal-dictionary/category/crotch-display/ [bodylanguageproject.com]
(Score: 4, Funny) by J_Darnley on Wednesday March 30 2016, @04:06PM
Still won't help you if you're ugly and being an ugly person I should know.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @04:56PM
Ugly people need love too, but it usually ends up being with other ugly people.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 30 2016, @05:49PM
Unless you are rich.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by GungnirSniper on Wednesday March 30 2016, @05:12PM
It's all about confidence. So find some self-worth and bring that to the table.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Squidious on Wednesday March 30 2016, @05:30PM
I've known ugly guys who went home with attractive women consistently. The biggest player I know had to get past a bulging red mole on his face the size of a nickel. Success seemed to be based on numerous factors, but towering confidence, sense of humor, social drinking with coworkers of both sexes, plus the balls to risk rejection and ask a woman if she wants to come home at the end of the night.
The terrorists have won, game, set, match. They've scared the people into electing authoritarian regimes.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday March 31 2016, @10:32AM
There are limits, but dressing well and smiling warmly can take you a long way. Other mitigating factors seem to be having the right ethnic identity. There are parts of Brooklyn I travel through regularly where you'll often see very homely men walking around with attractive women and 7-8 kids in tow. And of course the classic--healthy bank balance. That one we all know. But there's a stealth quality that doesn't occur to many on the first round--kindness. If you are truly, genuinely kind there are swathes of girls who swoon for that. Be warned, it's not without its pitfalls: many of them have checkered pasts where they've been mistreated in some way, so there's all that do deal with. Still, nothing is perfect, as are none of us.
Washington DC delenda est.