Red attracts women

Trouble with girls? Are you having a hard time finding a date for the evening? Now there is a solution: wear red

Trouble with girls? Are you having a hard time finding a date for the evening? Now there is a solution: wear red.

It may sound strange, but a series of studies from several academic institutions show that wearing red makes a man more attractive and sexier in the eyes of women. And fortunately, women are completely unaware of this stimulating effect.

According to the lead author of the study, Professor Andrew Elliott from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Rochester, the magic of the cherry color lies in the fact that it makes men appear more powerful. "We discovered that women perceive men in red as having a higher status, and believe more in their ability to earn money and climb up the social ladder. It is this judgment of the high status that causes the attraction," says Elliott.

Those who have followed cultures around the world know that there is no big surprise here. The color red has always been considered part of the status symbols of the rich and those with power and dominance. In ancient China, Japan and some African countries, the high class used to dye their clothes red to inform the general public about their status and wealth. The most important citizens of ancient Rome were called, literally, "those who wear red." According to this opinion, the color red has been fixed in our consciousness as a clothing characteristic of virtuous individuals.

However, this opinion is controversial, and it is possible that the wheel works in reverse: we are not attracted to red because nobles wore it, but out of a natural and biological tendency inherent in our minds to continue to red. This is also the reason why it became common among the aristocracy who could afford the expensive and prestigious dyeing of clothes. There are clues to this belief among some monkeys, such as the Mandils and Boni Galda, in which the senior males boast a patch of red fur on their forelocks. Females of these species tend to mate more often with the senior males, who externalize their redness, and in return receive protection and food.

The common myth that animals get angry when they see red has long been debunked. But now the color red has an effect on a new species: women. "When women see red, the color activates something deep, probably of biological origin," explains Elliott. "In our culture we tend to say that men behave like animals when it comes to sex. It seems that women may also behave as animals in a similar way."

To quantify the crimson effect, the researchers examined responses obtained from 288 female undergraduate students to images of men in seven different experiments. All subjects were heterosexual or bisexual. That is, they all had the tendency to be sexually attracted to men. In some experiments they were asked to compare a picture of the same man, when his shirt is red or some other color. In other experiments the image was decorated with red or white borders. The brightness and intensity of all the colors were compared between the different experiments, so that there was no difference except in hue. The subjects were asked to rate the status and sexual attractiveness of each of the men in the photos, and also reported their willingness to go on a date with him, kiss and take part in sexual activity with that person. They also rated how kind, kind and extroverted that person is.

The results showed that the effect of the color red was limited to status and matters between him and her: red made men appear more powerful, more attractive and more sexually desirable. On the other hand, the color red had no effect on the rating of the man's friendliness, kindness or sociability. This effect was uniform in the different cultures tested: female students from the USA, England, Germany and China - all found the men more attractive when they wore or were surrounded by red.

Twenty-five male students also participated in the experiment, who were also asked to rate the pictures of other males. According to the results of the experiment, the color red did not affect their ratings, but it is difficult to reach a significant conclusion when it comes to such a small number of male subjects.

Eliot has been involved in recent years in a variety of experiments that illustrate the effect of colors on the way we perceive ourselves and others. In previous experiments he showed that men are more attracted to women in red, but only in certain contexts. Elliott and others have also shown that people who see red in competitive situations, such as IQ tests or sporting events, suffer from performance deficits.

How much of this is science, and how much is pseudo-science? As with any research involving sociology and psychology, it is not easy to decide how much the results can be believed. This is a scientific study without a doubt, but before you go out on the street in a tomato suit, it is recommended to wait for further studies that will confirm or refute the conclusions presented here.