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Psychology studies Music makes men much more attractive
Music has many positive effects. It can, for example, help with bad moods, provide comfort, relieve pain and promote concentration. A new study by the University of Vienna has shown that music also plays a role in choosing a partner. Accordingly, women find men more attractive if they have previously listened to music. The results of the study have now been published in the latest edition of the journal "PLOS ONE".
Effect on sexual attraction
With the not very charming phrase "drinking someone nice" the phenomenon is described that a person becomes more and more attractive, the more alcohol you drink yourself. But not only alcohol can influence how we assess the attractiveness of the other person. Also music obviously has an effect on the sexual attraction.
Music can affect how attractive we find someone. (Image: Katia Fonti /fotolia.com) Researchers at the University of Vienna have come to this conclusion in the context of a recent study. A team of psychologists led by Manuela Marin and Helmut Leder investigated how musical life has an influence on the subjective evaluation of faces of the opposite sex.
"The attractiveness of the face is one of the most important physical features that can influence the choice of mate. We wanted to find out how music can change the perception of this trait, "says Helmut Leder from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna, according to a recent press release.
Already the founder of the theory of evolution, Charles Darwin, had suggested that the music had developed through sexual selection - comparable to bird song during the mating season. According to Darwin, the motor and cognitive abilities necessary for making music act as a signal for good genes, thus increasing the reproductive success, according to the researchers. However, there are currently only a few empirical findings supporting this theory.
Nearly 100 subjects rate photos
The study included a total of 96 participants divided equally into three groups: women in the fertile phase of their cycle, women in the infertile phase and men. The scientists first presented the subjects with musical excerpts with different emotional content and then showed them photos of neutral-looking faces of the opposite sex. This assessed the men and women in terms of its attractiveness on a scale, as well as the willingness for a date with this person was documented. A control group rated the faces without hearing music.
No change in men
The result: Listening to music made the women more appealing to men's faces and more willing to date than the control group. Whether they were in the fertile or infertile half of their cycle did not matter much, the researchers report. The biggest effect compared to the control conditions was "very exciting and thus complex music", according to the release. For the men, however, the music had no influence on the rating of the pictures.
Further research necessary
According to the researchers, the results would open up new opportunities to explore the importance of music in mate choice. For example, it should be clarified whether musical abilities, e.g. Weaknesses in the field of fitness can compensate.
"The empirical findings that music has the power to influence human behavior in mate choice are increasing. But how do you reconcile Darwin's theory with other biological and social theories about the genesis of music? Music can promote social cohesion, and it also plays a role in the mother-child relationship. Until we understand these connections, there is still a long way to go, "says Manuela Marin, who is now working at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Innsbruck. (No)