A new study provides at least part of the answer to the old question of what attracts men to women, and it’s R-E-D. A University of Rochester study shows that women wearing red make men feel amorous, and they aren’t even aware of it.
Anecdotal evidence for red’s effect on love has been long been known, from red hearts on Valentine’s Day to red-light districts. The study authors, however, say their study is the only scientific documentation of the effect of red in relationships.
In one segment of the study, men were shown photographs of women whose blouses were colored either red or blue and were asked to rate the attractiveness of the women, and were also asked, “Imagine that you are going on a date with this person and have $100 in your wallet. How much money would you be willing to spend on your date?” Men rated women wearing red as being significantly more attractive and sexually desirable than the very same women wearing blue, as well as worth spending more on.
While the study authors concede that part of the aphrodisiacal effect of red is the result of conditioning, they believe the male response to red is rooted in biology. Female chimps and baboons, for instance, redden when near ovulation, which is a clear signal that attracts males. “As much as men might like to think that they respond to women in a thoughtful, sophisticated manner,” the authors said, “it appears that at least to some degree, their preferences and predilections are, in a word, primitive.”
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