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UBC study proves cocky men are sexier

But what expression makes women attractive to men?

People who are looking for a date this weekend should pay attention to a new study from the University of British Columbia, which determined which facial expressions are more and less sexually attractive to straight members of the opposite sex. Psychologist Jessica Tracy and graduate student Alec Beall asked 1,000 adults rate the attractiveness of people in photographs who were displaying either pride, happiness, shame or a neutral expression. Women were most likely to rate a guy as attractive when he was displaying pride on his face, rather than a smiled or no expression. In contrast, men were more likely to call a women hot when she had an inviting grin. The study adds weight to a growing the theory that humans shop around for signals of potentially higher reproductive success. “[Pride] could signal high status [in men],” which is important for moms-to-be Tracy told to The Vancouver Sun. Straight males may be attracted to happy women because it signals sexual “receptiveness,” she said. The study will be published in the journal Emotion.

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