Plenty of people go on about compatibility or what ‘type’ of people are drawn to each other, but ignoring all the women’s magazines and websites, what is the real driving factor behind who you are attracted to? After all, if you had a line of potential suitors outside your door, you would inevitably be drawn to some more than others – even if they all had George Clooney’s or Angelina Jolie’s good looks.
Physical attraction is as old as time but recently studies have found that biochemical odours, or in other words, pheromones, have much more of an important role when choosing a partner than we first imagined. Pheromones are basically a unique chemical signature given off in a person’s natural smell, or sweat, in other words. This actually reflects their genetics because different genes translate as different scents.
A study in the 1990s dubbed the ‘t-shirt study’ is a brilliant example of pheromones in action. A group of men wore t-shirts without using deodorant or cologne for a couple of days to make sure their natural odour (including their pheromones) was the only thing building up on their skin. A group of women were then asked to smell the mens shirts and choose which scent they were most drawn to. The study showed that women prefer men with a pheromone smell that signaled an immune system that was most different from their own: who says opposites don’t attract? Sweaty t-shirts aside, the study managed to show the basic evolutionary idea of ‘survival of the fittest’.
The women surveyed were actually subconsciously choosing a partner with a contrasting immune system which would result in the creation of children with a stronger resistance to disease or illness. So even today we can recognise an ideal partner through their chemical odour. This might help to explain why successful couples often say that it feels ‘natural’ to be with their partner and it probably is! This said, I think it would be a bit much to suggest smell is the only reason people are attracted to one another, and I am definitely not advocating walking up to strangers and sniffing their underarms!
There are, of course, other factors that some scholars argue draw you to certain people, such as physical attributes which tell you how genetically suitable a person is for you. For example, some women might feel more attracted to a man with a stronger jaw as this is influenced by variances in testosterone levels. Similarly, some men might notice the shape of a girl’s eyes which are influenced by estrogen (which is linked to heathy reproductive qualities). So even though we do not tend to walk around consciously assessing these things or smelling people, it seems our brains just can’t help themselves!
Another factor in attraction is something called assortative mating, which in basic terms means choosing a partner who is similar to yourself; for example, if you both have similar interests or sense of humour. So there are plenty of other things that can influence how you feel towards someone. The lay term ‘chemistry’ can be explained as the difficulty to understand the role of pheromones, which appear illogical at times. After all, Elizabeth and Mr Darcy couldn’t deny their attraction to one another despite their aversion to each others’ character for most of the story.
So I suppose love at first sight is possible after all, even without the usual physical signs. In fact, one well respected anthropologist, Dr Helen Fisher, goes as far as to say it takes just three minutes to know whether a person is right for you.
So, the next time someone catches your attention, perhaps you will be more encouraged to trust your instincts!