With an estimated 50 million people using Tinder around the world, smartphone dating apps are changing the rules of attraction. So, when you have just a few photos and a brief introduction to work with, how do you decide if you fancy someone or not?
New research by phone retailer, Carphone Warehouse, has revealed that people in Northern Ireland take less than 4.3 seconds to decide if they find someone attractive.
The study, which polled 2,000 people in the UK, asked about the role that looks play in love at first sight, which physical features the nation finds most attractive and what people look for in a potential partner.
Striking eyes were found to be the most fanciable facial features across the United Kingdom (42%), followed by white teeth (8%) and a great haircut (6%). Interestingly, nearly a quarter of those surveyed (23%) said there was not one facial feature in particular they look out for.
Top five most attractive facial features:
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Striking eyes (42%)
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White teeth (8%)
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A great haircut (6%)
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Complexion (4%)
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Strong cheek bones (3%)
When it comes to the different sexes, having a curvy figure was revealed as the most attractive feature for females, while a smart dress sense was the most appealing physical feature for men. Guy liner and large amounts of chest hair were among the more unusual features people look for in a man.
Most attractive features in men:
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Smart dress sense (29%)
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Trim and athletic (25%)
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Haircut (24%)
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Stubble (21%)
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Muscular and bulky (15%)
Most attractive features in women:
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Curvy (37%)
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Long hair (25%)
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Slim (23%)
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Little or no make-up (23%)
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Some make up (21%)
Despite the fact it’s hard to gauge personality on a dating app, it’s still very important for many Brits, with 93% of respondents saying personality and a good sense of humour (90%) are more important than physical attraction (71%) when choosing a new partner. Style (53%) and job status (30%) were also listed as important factors for people on the hunt for a new love interest.
Commenting on the findings, Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “Online or app-based dating is playing a massive part in the way we meet potential partners but the process of relationship formation remains largely the same. Whether you spot someone in a bar or see their photo in a dating app, in the absence of interaction, physical appearance probably matters more than anything else.
“After interaction takes place, our assessment of the importance of physical features starts to drop quite significantly; things like similarity, reciprocity and personality all begin to matter more.
“As a relationship progresses, however, physical attraction becomes more important again – as we recognise the need to desire someone in order to take the relationship to the next level.
“There is much debate about whether certain physical features are considered universally attractive. In reality, attraction is always by definition subjective - beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.
“There are many things to consider when deciding what we find physically attractive. Culturally-shaped beauty ideals for a start, but also everything from trends in fashion to an individual’s relationship history all impact on what you personally consider to be attractive.”
A spokesperson for Carphone Warehouse said: “With so many people using dating apps today, it’s interesting to see how important smartphones can be when finding a new partner, and how they’re changing how we decide if someone is or isn’t right for us."
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