It turns out that close contact with men can improve women's moods in more ways than just that. Scientists conducted a series of experiments and concluded that women's body temperature increased each time they were touched by men, Live Science reports.
And this has nothing to do with temperament or mood. Study author Amanda Khan of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland noted that all subjects showed striking results to varying degrees, regardless of whether it was a friendly handshake or a gentle touch. “During the experiment, women reported feeling a pleasant warmth in their face and chest at the moment of touch. For some women, their temperature changed by almost a degree,” Khan stated.
Scientists claim that we receive 60% of information about a person nonverbally—by observing their interlocutor's posture, gestures, and facial expressions. According to their findings, by raising their body temperature, women send their partners certain signals that are part of nonverbal communication. Ultimately, however, everything also depends on the relationship they've established. It's one thing when strangers are communicating, and quite another when the person you're talking to is an old acquaintance.
The effect of increased body temperature has long been known to science as the body's response to strong emotions. When a person is stressed, fearful, or, conversely, joyful, blood rushes to the extremities, and the face, in particular, flushes. However, the fact that this reaction can also occur in a calm environment was a discovery for Scottish scientists.
The day before, their American colleagues published the results of their study. They attempted to approach the issue of gender interaction from the opposite perspective—from the perspective of male perception. According to their findings, men find women whose behavior indicates psychological immaturity more attractive.
The researchers asked several participants in the experiment to create a list of factors that, in their opinion, help a woman appear more approachable and attractive to men.
It turned out that physical flaws, such as short stature, had no impact on men's perceptions of women. Meanwhile, psychological flaws in women—such as immature judgment and even stupidity—didn't prevent respondents from considering them beautiful.