Your boorish buddies may be slobs—but they also help you get laid, according to the latest news from the animal world.
Australian researchers found that blandly colored male guppies—like those you had in your fish tank as a kid—were more likely to mate with a female guppy if she was surrounded by even less-attractive male fish. That's despite the female's nature to generally hook up with the most brightly colored male she can find.
In fact, bland male guppies seem to wait for times when those colorful competitors are nowhere to be found to make their move. “The males actively choose the social context that maximizes their relative attractiveness and that is expected to increase their reproductive success,” says study author Clelia Gasparini, Ph.D., an evolutionary biologist at the University of Western Australia. Sound like a familiar strategy?
While this study was done on fish, it might hold true for humans—and it's not the only way the crowd you roll with can shape your success in the real world. Here's how to recruit a crew to optimize your social life:
1. The Big Brother Fill the first spot in your entourage with the guy who's a new boss, new husband, or new dad. "You need someone around who's made the big life moves you haven't made yet and can pass along a little wisdom,” says Geoff Greif, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore and author of Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships. While the big brother may or may not be related to you (or even older than you), he should be close enough in age that his advice is relevant and he understands your perspective on life. Someone who bought a house in 2004, for example, probably isn't the most knowledgeable about today's market.
2. The Single Guy Next up: the friend who's still unattached. “It's typical as you get into a relationship to leave your single friends behind because they become a third wheel if you're out with a girlfriend, but that's a mistake,” Greif says. That's because unlike your friends who are pairing off, the single guy is almost always free for a last-minute night out, or to help you mount your new flat screen TV. Consider him the Swiss Army knife of friends.
3. The Wing-Woman While hanging out with dumpy-looking dudes is a plus, a sexy (but platonic) female friend can help you break the ice with women you're looking to meet. A study at the University of California found that women rated men as better looking when the guys were shown pictured with a hot woman. What's more, the women said they were skeptical of the guys who were pictured with less-attractive women. Ideally, your hot Wing-Woman is the girlfriend or wife of a buddy, since she can sing your praises to the girls you meet, but won't be seen as a threat to your new companion.
4. The Andy Richter Aside from simply feeling good when your witty comment is received with belly laughs, your sidekick's guffaws make you look good to women as well. Researchers at Westfield State College found that when women saw pictures of men with a witty quote attached, they rated the guys as more fun and popular. What's more, a study in France found that if a guy approached a woman and asked for her number right after his friends laughed at his joke, she gave up her digits 43 percent of the time, compared to just 15 percent of the time when the guy asked out of the blue.
5. The Geek We all have our niche interests, whether it's Australian rugby or vintage turntables. The Geek is your friend who shares a specific interest and lets you indulge that unique side of your personality. In fact, he may not even be someone who's part of your regular social circle. “You can forgive certain personal differences if you see eye-to-eye in your pursuit of one hobby,” says Greif. Without him, you risk letting one of your passions slip away or alienating your other friends by trying to debate whether Jack Kirby deserves more credit than Stan Lee for creating the Fantastic Four.
6. The B.S. Artist The one trait you need in a friend is the willingness to back you up, says Greif. The B.S. Artist's skill is in covering for your awkward conversation flubs, career setbacks, and dating history. Not only will he lie to help you, but he's a good friend to have around regardless. A Canadian study found that people who lie to protect their friends are more likely to be highly empathetic and in tune with their pal's needs.
Australian researchers found that blandly colored male guppies—like those you had in your fish tank as a kid—were more likely to mate with a female guppy if she was surrounded by even less-attractive male fish. That's despite the female's nature to generally hook up with the most brightly colored male she can find.
In fact, bland male guppies seem to wait for times when those colorful competitors are nowhere to be found to make their move. “The males actively choose the social context that maximizes their relative attractiveness and that is expected to increase their reproductive success,” says study author Clelia Gasparini, Ph.D., an evolutionary biologist at the University of Western Australia. Sound like a familiar strategy?
While this study was done on fish, it might hold true for humans—and it's not the only way the crowd you roll with can shape your success in the real world. Here's how to recruit a crew to optimize your social life:
1. The Big Brother Fill the first spot in your entourage with the guy who's a new boss, new husband, or new dad. "You need someone around who's made the big life moves you haven't made yet and can pass along a little wisdom,” says Geoff Greif, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Maryland at Baltimore and author of Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships. While the big brother may or may not be related to you (or even older than you), he should be close enough in age that his advice is relevant and he understands your perspective on life. Someone who bought a house in 2004, for example, probably isn't the most knowledgeable about today's market.
2. The Single Guy Next up: the friend who's still unattached. “It's typical as you get into a relationship to leave your single friends behind because they become a third wheel if you're out with a girlfriend, but that's a mistake,” Greif says. That's because unlike your friends who are pairing off, the single guy is almost always free for a last-minute night out, or to help you mount your new flat screen TV. Consider him the Swiss Army knife of friends.
3. The Wing-Woman While hanging out with dumpy-looking dudes is a plus, a sexy (but platonic) female friend can help you break the ice with women you're looking to meet. A study at the University of California found that women rated men as better looking when the guys were shown pictured with a hot woman. What's more, the women said they were skeptical of the guys who were pictured with less-attractive women. Ideally, your hot Wing-Woman is the girlfriend or wife of a buddy, since she can sing your praises to the girls you meet, but won't be seen as a threat to your new companion.
4. The Andy Richter Aside from simply feeling good when your witty comment is received with belly laughs, your sidekick's guffaws make you look good to women as well. Researchers at Westfield State College found that when women saw pictures of men with a witty quote attached, they rated the guys as more fun and popular. What's more, a study in France found that if a guy approached a woman and asked for her number right after his friends laughed at his joke, she gave up her digits 43 percent of the time, compared to just 15 percent of the time when the guy asked out of the blue.
5. The Geek We all have our niche interests, whether it's Australian rugby or vintage turntables. The Geek is your friend who shares a specific interest and lets you indulge that unique side of your personality. In fact, he may not even be someone who's part of your regular social circle. “You can forgive certain personal differences if you see eye-to-eye in your pursuit of one hobby,” says Greif. Without him, you risk letting one of your passions slip away or alienating your other friends by trying to debate whether Jack Kirby deserves more credit than Stan Lee for creating the Fantastic Four.
6. The B.S. Artist The one trait you need in a friend is the willingness to back you up, says Greif. The B.S. Artist's skill is in covering for your awkward conversation flubs, career setbacks, and dating history. Not only will he lie to help you, but he's a good friend to have around regardless. A Canadian study found that people who lie to protect their friends are more likely to be highly empathetic and in tune with their pal's needs.
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