Our Attraction to the Color Red- The Science of Sex
| March 12, 2012 | Posted by admin under Animal Behavior, Behavior, Human Behavior |
What could the Matrix and a baboon’s butt possibly have in common?
…Besides the fact that you can watch both on t.v., obviously.
If you haven’t gotten it by now, then here it is… Both have the color red.
Both the woman and the baboon use this particular color for the same purpose– To find mates. And for good reason. Research shows men and women are more attractive when they are wearing red. It’s an unconscious association, but there nonetheless.
The first time I ever heard of this phenomena was at the University working with zebra finches.
I was told that the red spots on a zebra finch’s cheeks and the red beak determine attractiveness in the breed. Experiments were simple- Increase the red areas with a red marker and females became enamored by males. Decrease the red with white or gray markers and the same males were ignored.
When working with these little guys in a lab, researchers mainly use colored leg bands to identify individuals. Strangely, experiments started going haywire and people had no idea why.
Turns out the red leg bands themselves were messing up the experiments. The birds were paying more attention to the red color attached to the birds than the purpose of the experiments themselves.
Strangely enough, people react the exact same way, just like the finches and baboons (yes, you are at heart just an animal). Unconsciously, we relate red to the sexiness and attractiveness of women and men. Something picked up as we evolved.
There are a lot of experiments demonstrating the power of red in human attractiveness, but for time’s sake I’ll just mention the more well-known ones. Men and woman are shown pictures of the opposite sex in different colored T-shirts– not just white, but green, blue, so on and so forth. They are then asked questions about the people in the photos, including their status, how attractive they are, and how interested they would be in sex.
Women’s Attraction to the Color Red- Men Were Rated As
- Being more alpha male
- Having more social status (i.e., cultures using red clothing to denote status and rank)
- More sexually desirable
- Interestingly, women did not rate men in red as being any more likable, kind, or social. Huh. Guess red is restricted to sex only folks, sorry to burst your bubbles.
Men’s Attraction to the Color Red- Women Were Seen As:
- More interested in sex
- More sexually desirable
- More likely to say yes to their invitations to a date or dinner
- All of this is regardless of the type of clothing (a red shirt will do, does not have to be a dress/revealing outfit)
Pretty interesting, isn’t it? Next time you go to the club or that special date, maybe you should take that long lost red from your closet. It might have some expectations you wouldn’t– well, would now that you’ve read this– expect.
