Why Men Who Smile Often Aren't As Appealing To Women

We hate to break it to you, but chances are that getting the girl of your dreams may be a problem for you if you smile too much. While smiling is the key to a friendly social interaction, both men and women respond to it differently. So if you've already set up a Tinder profile and are serious about meeting someone, the best piece of advice for you would be to refrain from smiling in your photos.

So what's the relation between smiling and attraction? According to a study by the American Psychological Association, non-verbal cues like expressions and body language play a very constructive role in shaping one's perception of the other (via TIME). While the study demonstrated that both men and women prefer a hint of shame in their prospective partner's photos, they have entirely different views about smiling (via Science Daily).

The study revealed that men are sexually attracted to women who have big, cheesy grins on their faces. Additionally, it was also determined that men found neutral and prideful facial expressions to be undesirable traits in women. Women, on the contrary, found men who did not smile to be more attractive sexually. So, what's the reason women prefer men who do not smile? Let's find out!

This study, conducted by the University of British Columbia, asked 1,000 volunteers to rank photos of the opposite sex. In these photos, men and women expressed four emotions — happiness, shame, pride, and neutrality. The results concluded that women ranked men smiling in their photos as less attractive, while men who appeared to be proud or ashamed were ranked on top. The study offered these findings as a possible explanation for some women's attraction to the "bad boy" archetype (via Science Daily).

While researchers aren't entirely sure as to why some women find smiling men to be less attractive, experts suggest it may have to do with societal constructs of gender roles. According to Prof. Jessica Tracy of UBC's Dept. of Psychology and the co-author of the study, what people find attractive or unattractive is directly linked to years of evolution and cultural norms. For example, evolutionary theories suggest that pride and brooding gestures represent competence, status, protection, and the ability to provide for one's family. Since these characteristics have traditionally been assigned to men when it comes to gender roles, some women may find themselves attracted to such men.

However, it's important to note that most research and theories around the subject of attraction are subjective and cannot be defined based on the limiting nature of gender roles. While interacting in social settings, both men and women may prefer people who seem easy to talk to, and what better way to appear friendly than to wear a smile? Besides, attractiveness is not the only thing that people tend to take into account when bonding with someone or starting a new relationship.