FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·May 11, 2023·8 min readShared Interests, Shared Essence: Unraveling the Psychology of Instant ConnectionsNew research sheds light on the similarity-attraction effect, a psychological principle that governs how we form relationships based on shared interests. The study highlight the critical role of 'self-essentialist reasoning', a belief system where individuals perceive an inherent essence as the driver of their preferences and dislikes.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 13, 2023·6 min readSome People May Be Attracted to Others Over Minimal SimilaritiesParticipants who scored high on self-essentialism, believing that attributes are driven by an "essence," were more likely to be attracted to individuals who shared their views, the study found.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·February 23, 2023·3 min readNew Research Explores the Appeal of Dangerous MenFor short-term relationships, most women are more attracted to risk-taking men, a new study reports. Women who are in better health or have greater access to quality healthcare are more likely to be attracted to risk-taking men than women from other socioeconomic or health backgrounds.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·March 8, 2021·3 min readMoral Outrage Is Attractive Among Long-Term Relationship SeekersPeople who display moral outrage were considered to be more trustworthy and benevolent, and therefore more likely to display other positive pro-social behaviors than their more controlled counterparts.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience Videos·March 6, 2021·4 min readBeauty is in the Brain of the Beholder: AI Generates Personally Attractive Images by Reading Brain DataCombining brain activity data with artificial intelligence, researchers generated faces based upon what individuals considered to be attractive features.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·September 23, 2020·7 min readFeeling Frisky Makes You See What You Want to SeePeople find potential romantic partners more attractive when they have, what researchers called, a "sexy mindset." They also tend to overestimate their chances of romantic success when aroused. The findings suggest the sexual system prepares the ground for forming relationships by biasing interpersonal perceptions.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·August 31, 2020·3 min readIs Being Generous the Next Beauty Trend?Researchers found more attractive people are more likely to be givers, and givers are generally rated as being more attractive.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience VideosPsychology·February 14, 2020·3 min readWomen aren’t attracted to easy-to-seduce menWomen can identify men that would be easier to pressure, deceive, seduce, or exploit, but, unlike many men, most women don't find these cues attractive.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceNeuroscience VideosPsychology·February 14, 2020·3 min readCan beauty be-er ignored? The science behind the ‘beer goggles’ effectWhen people are sober, they tend to be more distracted by attractive faces. When they are intoxicated, their attention becomes equally divided by both attractive and unattractive faces.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·February 13, 2020·4 min readKisspeptin hormone injection can boost brain activity associated with attractionA shot of the reproductive hormone kisspeptin enhances brain activity in response to olfactory and visual cues of attraction in men. The findings reveal a previously undescribed attraction pathway in humans activated by the hormone and identify kisspeptin signaling as a potential therapeutic pathway for psychosexual and reproductive disorders.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychologyVisual Neuroscience·November 20, 2019·3 min readBeauty in the biased eye of the beholderWhen we see a painting, we rate its aesthetic value based upon other artwork we have just seen.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·September 30, 2019·3 min readStudy identifies psychology of attraction to religious deities and super-heroesA new 'god' template distinguishes between religious and secular supernatural beings by exploring the attributes people associate with them. Religious figures were considered to be more helpful and more ambiguous in their abilities. Superheroes were considered to be less ambivalent. The findings suggest religious figures are psychologically attractive because people are more motivated to believe in them.Read More