Suggested Radio, TV, Online Interview Questions:

Can the Color of an Outfit a Woman Wears Affect a Man’s Attraction?

First off, the color of the outfit isn’t going to provide either sex with a magic bullet to capture the heart of the opposite sex. It most likely acts more-so as icing (and very thin icing at that) on the attraction-cake. One of the most well-known studies currently is “Romantic Red: red enhances men’s attraction to women” out of The University of Rochester in New York. The study shows that men are indeed more attracted to women if the color red is present; note that the color red merely needs to be present as opposed to actually worn. The conclusion was that men were more attracted to women if the color was present at all – such as in the background of the picture – and that men were more willing to spend slightly more money on a woman wearing red (due to her slight increase in attraction).

Some psych-studies indicate that black is a color signifying dominance and power, but you probably don’t want to run and purchase all black as it tends to also be associated with negativity. Blue has also been confirmed as a trust color, one reason why it often serves as people’s favorite color.

What’s important to note here is that color – at least in terms of clothes – doesn’t play a major role simply because it doesn’t serve as any type of signal to members of the opposite sex. Smooth and clear complexions, as well as body-sizes and symmetry all are attractive to humans because they signify a healthy individual – someone that has a stronger immune system and who is more likely to be free from diseases and parasites. Many other animals in the wild use color as an assessment for attraction because reds and oranges – found in many birds and fish – are made of carotenoids. These pigment’s brightness will vary based on the amount of parasites within the animal, the brightest being the ones with the fewest infections and strongest immune systems. The slight attraction towards red for men (which also signals aggression) likely stems from an ancestral trait, left over, and gradually dissipating as time continues.

Although visually dominant creatures, color and sexual attraction aren’t as closely related as most would believe – which is likely why there are so few legitimate scientific studies at large Universities surrounding color and human attraction. Humans evolved to weigh many different sexual clues in the opposite sex. When it comes to looks, symmetry plays the most crucial role – especially in men’s view of women. A perfect .7 waist-to-hip ratio is the most important factor to men, as it signifies actual health in the individual and vanishes as fertility declines. Much of women’s attraction is also based on looks (the symmetry of the body and face); however, power, size and resources also strongly factor in.

So it might be cliché, but most men might be slightly aroused by a red dress; however, as you might guess, most men will like it best upon the floor.

How Soon Should Men and Women Jump Into Bed – Sex is Healthy, after all, Right?

Yes, certainly sex has its place in a healthy relationship where both parties understand the other partner’s values. It causes a dopamine-response, subsequently lowering cortisol (stress-hormone), which causes an immense amount of damage to the body if present is large amounts or for too long. However, that’s not to be taken out of context. Running also reduces cortisol, as does meditation. Sex also comes with a flipside, in that it can create large amounts of stress, stemming from its impact on relationships – and it can even cause the demise in a relationship in some circumstances.

The problem with sex in relationships and more importantly – in dating – is the varying viewpoints regarding the seriousness of sex. For some, sex can be a casual, near emotionless experience (at least for a period of time); for others, sex and love (or at the very least, sincere infatuation) go hand-in-hand.

That being said, your partner’s viewpoint might not match your own, even though you might want it to or mistakingly believe it does. Building a successful relationship is a lot like building a home together. The most important stage involves building a foundation, and pre-mature sex (no pun intended), in a relationship can be a killer. You first need to understand your partner, which becomes even more challenging as the beginning stages of dating causes a dopamine rush, creating euphoric sensations. Delaying gratitude until you fully understand your partner’s true intentions is absolutely critical (if you’re looking for long-term dating success).

Why Hopping into Bed Creates Problems:
So, what if you head to bed a bit earlier than you had wanted to, there’s not much harm, right? During the beginning of a relationship you’re constantly forming opinions of your partner: sizing them up, evaluating their traits, weighing their long-term potential. The problem is that humans are extremely judgmental regarding other’s actions; the majority of these judgments occur subconsciously, even if we don’t realize it.
Dating involves a push-and-pull process. We strive to obtain people’s interest and attraction; however, we judge much of their worth and subsequently our interest and attraction towards them is very often based on how easy they are to obtain. Human-beings strive for challenges and place strong values on harder-to-achieve objectives. You might not realize it, but this extends to your dating partners as well.

Caution for Women:
Although both women and men vary in regards to their viewpoints towards sex, women should be extra cautious as men’s desires as a whole tend to edge towards the “have-sex-as-quickly-as-possible” category, regardless of their understanding of their sexual partner. This behavior is biologically-derived as women generally act as the “choosers” due to the immense time-investment involved in offspring. Men and women’s sexual roles have become highly popularized and integrated into most societies’ songs, movies, and TV shows.

Do Women’s and Men’s Attraction Preferences Change throughout Women’s Ovulation Cycle?

Fertility, without a doubt, relates to attraction. Human females are virtually always able to mate as opposed to many species that are seasonal, so it would make sense if males naturally evolved subtle sensitivities to any cues about fertility in the physical alterations of the opposite sex. Men are most certainly more attracted to the pheromones of the opposite sex during ovulation, although the degree of impact of this is questionable. There’s also a bit of a mystery as to whether women alter physically (enlarged breasts, etc) and whether men can cue in on this.

There’s some good research counter to this that shows women – during certain periods of their ovulation cycle – become more attracted to “manly” men, ie, any signs showing higher testosterone levels, such as physical features, voice and attitudes. This is the “good genes” theory. It plays well into culture and the whole “good guy finishes last” thing – a lot of these common sayings act as great heuristics.

Are Women Capable of Engaging in Casual Sex in the Same Manner Men Do?

First, it’s clear that humans are at least slightly polygamous (which is clearly evident in multiple sexual partners over a lifetime in societies around the globe). This is an important point to make when discussing casual sex, especially if we consider non-attached, as well as multiple partners.

Men desire to play the ‘mate as much as possible’ game pretty much their whole lives (obviously varying in degrees). But it’s not only a men’s game, women definitely dabble in it, but usually only for a temporary period of time, which might be years, months, or even days.

When it comes to women, sex – and especially casual sex – becomes a more sophisticated matter. It’s like a quilt interwoven with conflicting desires.

Like men, women use looks as a choice via the evolution of the “good genes” theory; however, unlike men, women also factor in status, protection and resources of the male. Women are even more attracted to more masculine men exhibiting features signifying high testosterone during the most fertile part of their cycle, once again, showing support for ease of a casual sexual relationship emotionally – at least in regards to timing.

Women are evolutionarily designed to be careful who they mate with due to the repercussions of selecting a bad mate. This has led to women becoming “choosers” in terms of sex.

Societal Pressure

Today, there’s virtually no selective pressure on women to avoid casual sex, as any woman that doesn’t have a commitment (or resources) from their casual sex partner can easily find a partner willing to commit. (This isn’t discounting social stigma, which I’ll get to in a minute)

Stigma

The social stigma certainly still remains, which is one reason why women are so much more prone to having casual sex in secret as opposed to men, or why women will be more prone to have casual sex on vacation – in an area where no one knows them and therefore, they remain free from societal judgment. Men’s boasting of casual sex will rarely be found among women (barring discussions with close friends).

Emotions

Emotions play strongly into when, where, and how women have sex as well. Women commonly have casual sex in their late teens and into their 20’s. This is a sexual statement – something allowing women to understand their own sexual prowess. This period of sexual freedom can last years for women, but will usually also lead into the first relationships. As women venture into their late 20’s and subsequent fertility lowers, biology will kick in, letting them know it’s time to get serious about reproduction. For many women, this will end – at least temporarily – the idea of non-committed casual sex.

Women who experience negative emotions during or post-breakup will also often seek casual sex as an outlet for support and confidence building. Once again, this time period generally varies from woman to woman, with the emotional ease of casual sex becoming easier as women become older. Although unsure as to the exact reason – I’d speculate that as fertility declines, women feel less biological – and likely, societal – pressure in their decision making.