There are few less exact sciences than love. Yes, it is clear that falling in love is the result of a cocktail of hormones and signals that travel rapidly towards us. brain. That is more or less predictable. But what is it that makes one person drink the winds for another and over the years is barely able to look at them? What is it that makes us fall in love with one person and not with another? Science also intervenes there, but along with it, many social factors, which shape us at about the same level as hormones and genes. Even so, and taking into account that nothing is infallible and that love is a matter of two (at least), we could make a list of science-based flirting tricks.
In fact, since psychologists until the neurologistsMany scientists have studied what makes us attractive to other people. It should be noted that many of these studies have been carried out with very small groups of people. Therefore, its results must be taken with great caution.
But, even so, it is interesting to take them into account. After all, when we look for tricks to flirt, assuming that nothing is certain, it will always be better to stay with those that have a certain scientific backing behind. Here are some of them.
Smile and, if you can, make people laugh
In 2012, a team of scientists from the University of Bernin Switzerland, asked 68 volunteers to evaluate a series of photographs in which the same person looked progressively more smiling. The goal was for them to decide which faces seemed most attractive to them.
Most chose the most attractive faces when their smile was more intense. In addition, in a second experiment they were asked to rate them according to their happiness and, not surprisingly, the results matched.
This indicates that, when we are getting to know someone, the best accessory we can take is a smile. He sounds like a Mr Wonderful mug, but science says so.
On the other hand, this leads us to a classic flirting trick: making people laugh. It’s not just smiling faces that look more attractive. People who make you laugh are also attractive.
Sleep well before the first date
Something that is not usually included among the tricks to flirt is sleep. But we must not forget that, evolutionarily, we feel more attracted to people whose physique reflects a good health. It is the best way to perpetuate the species.
Anyone who has looked in the mirror after a few sleepless nights knows that the last thing on our faces at such times is health. For this reason, in 2010 a team of scientists from the Karolinska Institutein Sweden, decided Check if sleep deprivation affects a person’s attractiveness.
For their study, they had 65 people, who had to look at the photos of 23 other volunteers. Each of them had taken two photos, one after sleeping 8 hours and another after a night of reduced sleep which was followed by 31 waking hours. When observers were asked to rate the images, it was found that the majority of those photographed rated themselves as significantly less attractive after sleep deprivation.
Whispering in the ear is one of the typical pick-up tricks, but in which ear?
Although it may not seem like it, the perfect ear for whispering is something that has been studied a lot.
To begin with, in 2009 a study was carried out in which the interactions between people who spoke to each other in a nightclub were analyzed. It was found that there was a greater tendency to continue the conversation when they spoke to each other in the right ear. Logically, in a disco it was not about whispers, but about shouts.
Therefore, the researchers conducted a second experiment. In it, one of them would randomly stop people on the street and ask them for something by whispering in their ear. There were more tendencies to follow their requests when spoken into the right ear.
It was concluded that this was the right ear. However, recently a more complete study has indicated the opposite. In it, a brain scan of a series of people has been carried out while they received a series of vocalizations in the left, right or front ear. Thus, it was seen that when vocalizations were associated with positive emotions, brain activity was much higher if they received them in the left ear. This coincides with other studies that indicate that the brain processes emotions better when they come from the left side.
On the other hand, there is another study in which it was seen that people become more aroused when spoken to from behind.
In short, it seems that whispering in the ear should be on this list of tricks to flirt. The ear is not clear, but if it comes from behind, all the better. Of course, do not scare anyone. Is not about that too.
Imitates the gestures of the other
There is a phenomenon known as the chameleon effectby which it has been proven that people tend to find others more attractive who imitate their non-verbal communication. Logically, you have to do it in a subtle way. If not, it would seem more like a mockery.
The good part is that it has been seen that this comes unconsciously naturally. That is to say, that, without realizing it, we imitate the gestures or even the tone of voice of the other. The bad news is that too we copy the negative. In fact, studies have been carried out in which telephone interviews with a negative tone have been carried out with people who, after a while, began to speak with the same tone of voice.
As for the cause, it is not entirely clear, although it is believed that it may be due to the mirror neurons. These neurons fire when an individual performs an action and when another individual next to him performs the same gesture. It is believed that they are a product of evolution to become social animals, which is why we like to see other people do the same as us. Even if we don’t realize it.
The clothing cannot be missing in the tricks to flirt
Tricks to flirt, based on science or not, usually also talk about outfit. It is clear that the best thing is that on the first dates seen as you usually do. It is of little use that you pretend to be someone else, because it is not something that you will be able to do indefinitely.
However, keeping your style, some studies suggest that it may be interesting to take into account the color. Specifically, in 2008 a study was carried out in which 30 male students were asked to rate the attractiveness of a woman posing standing against a red, white, grey, green or blue background. Most gave a much higher score to women on the red background. However, when asked for the reasons, they did not say anything about the color, so it may be an unconscious attraction to red.
30 students they represent a very small sample, but nothing is lost by testing.
If you have a dog, take it
Do not think of adopting a dog just to flirt, like those who adopted them to leave the house in confinement. The smile can be a complement, dogs cannot.
Leaving that aside, yes it is true that in 2014 an experiment was performed very curious about this topic. 100 women were asked to read cartoons in which men portrayed themselves as attentive workers who took care of their family, or “rogues” who cheated on their partners and argued constantly. It would be expected that the first ones would have a much better grade when they were asked to rate them according to their attractiveness. However, in some of the cartoons the men had a little dog and it turned out that, even though they were from the group of scoundrels, they tended to have better grades when they had their pet with them.
Don’t justify horns having a dog, that’s not what it’s about. But, if you live with a furry friend, perhaps a walk in the park with him would be a good setting for a first date.
Bonus: Did you know that there is a parasite that can increase your attractiveness?
No, getting infected with a parasite is not part of our dating tricks. But, since this is about scientific curiosities, he could not be left out Toxoplasma gondii.
This is the parasite that causes the toxoplasmosis. It is known for being able to manipulate its intermediate hosts, so that they take them to their final hosts, which are cats. For example, it can make mice lose their fear of the smell of cat urine and even be attracted to it. Thus, they are hunted and the parasite passes to the cat to finish reproducing.
In humans it does not usually cause symptoms, although it is suspected that in some people it can cause impulsive behaviors or even accelerate the onset of schizophrenia. However, it is also believed that, in order to continue passing from one host to another, it can make infected people look healthier and therefore more attractive.
It is a striking detail, but there are other tricks to flirt much saferso this is better left as a simple curiosity.
Finally, it should be noted that we do not guarantee success with these flirting tricks. But at least you have something to talk to, whether it’s someone you’ve met on Tinder, your coworkers, or your brother-in-law at Christmas dinner.