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Size matters. Well, as far as it relates to a man's nest egg. Before you get to thinking that that's some sort of lewd euphemism, we'll explain. When polled by Men's Health, one in five women cited a man's career successes as one of the top practical skills a partner could possess. There's no doubt about it: a man's earning potential is something many women find attractive.  Weighing a man's ability to be a good provider so heavily may seem a bit stereotypical and even archaic, but in most households in the United States, men are still the higher-earners and, whether it's cause or effect, Americans — both men and women — continue to place a higher value on a man's earning potential. A survey by Pew Research Center found nearly seven in 10 adults claim "it is very important for a man to be able to support a family financially to be a good husband or partner."

Finding a partner who can make you laugh is undoubtedly significant to many. But, with all of the other traits women are looking for in a potential partner, does humor get crowded out or thought of a less important? Nope, it's still very much an attractive quality.  One study (via Psychology Today) found that women were three times more likely to hand off their phone numbers to a man who told jokes compared to a man who didn't. The funnyman was also thought to not only be more attractive, but also more sociable, smarter, and, of course, funnier.  Another study of 200 female and 200 male university students further found that humor is often viewed as an indicator of intelligence and creativity. As with many of the traits women find attractive, the reason for finding humor desirable in a member of the opposite sex involves more than just needing a good laugh.

We all know someone who just drones on and on while telling a story and never quite gets to the point. Now imagine, if you will, being in a committed relationship and living with that person? Yikes. You've probably never thought of the art of storytelling as an attractive quality, but you've definitely noticed how unpleasant bad storytelling can be. A three-part study conducted in 2016 examined how a person's storytelling ability influences attractiveness. The participants in the first study were told about their potential partner's storytelling ability while the participants in the second study read either a poorly- or well-told story under the guise that it was written by their potential partner. As a result, "women's attractiveness assessments of men as a long-term date increased for good storytellers."  The reason for these results might be found in the third study. That one highlighted that the art of storytelling seems to reflect a higher social stat...

If married or otherwise attached men are more attractive to women because they seem like they'd make better fathers, it makes sense that'd we'd also be into the trait of fatherliness. According to the polls conducted by Men's Health, this quality was actually ranked as the fifth most desired character trait. In facts and figures, this means that 51 percent of the women surveyed found the ability to be a good dad attractive.  This trait doesn't mean a man has to have kids currently, just that he has the potential to be a good dad. Of course, already having kids wouldn't exactly be a turn-off for many women. New York Post reported that one of the latest trends in romance novels is none other than single fathers. Lilia Kanna, head of international and series publishing at Harlequin Australia, explained that "single dads have a nurturing and caring element that is very appealing." A study by Zoosk (via New York Post), echoed this sentiment with stats. Citi...

We, as women, may have a soft spot for kind men, but that doesn't mean every trait we find attractive is as admirable. The Department of Psychology at Oklahoma State University published some interesting findings after performing a study about "mate poaching." According to Independent, a whopping 90 percent of single women who participated in the study displayed interest in a man when they were under the impression that he was in a relationship. Contrast that to the mere 59 percent of single women who found the same man attractive when informed he was single and, wow, that's a big deal. This phenomenon is often called the "wedding ring effect." Another study has contested these findings, but a report published in 2018 showed that women do indeed appear to copy other women's preferences for male attractiveness. Why? Science doesn't seem to have the answer to that nailed down just yet, but Independent reported that it could be because a married man is ...

We're not here to say bad boys are unattractive. Their appeal can certainly not be contested. But, is the Rebel Without a Cause persona really what women want? As it turns out, no. Men's Health used two surveys to collect data from over 1,000 American women aged 21 to 54 — all in an effort to figure out just what it is we as women are attracted to. While the first two traits women found attractive — faithfulness and dependability — are not very shocking, the third most-selected trait is, perhaps, a different story. Kindness is a turn-on according to 67 percent of the women who participated in the surveys. Why? "Because kindness inspires confidence," Men's Health explained. It may have been cute to tease us in middle school and feign toughness in high school, but it seems that gets old pretty fast. So fellas, if you're reading this, just be kind.

If you're interested in someone, you undoubtedly want him and your friends to get along. Surprisingly, your friends may have been what endeared your man to you in the first place. It sounds odd, but this phenomenon is called "the cheerleader effect." And if that sounds like it's something Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother would say, it's because he has. Nevertheless, this theory is rooted in truth. Science has proven that "a group's physical attractiveness is greater than the average attractiveness of its members." It's strange, but this may be because of how our brains decipher visual input. George Alvarez, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, explained that we as humans can only process a "handful of objects at once." Our brains make do with this limitation by paying attention to the "most relevant incoming information" and grouping details. Yes, even cheerleaders it would seem.

First dates are always nerve-wracking. You want to like him and, if you do, you want him to like you back. Perhaps that's why 43 percent of people surveyed in 2016 by Match.com's Singles in America (via Elite Daily) admitted to lying on first dates. Whether you're keeping big secrets, like having children, or telling white lies, like what your real hobbies are, fibbing is detrimental to dating. In one study, students were asked to read a description of a man or woman who was said to be either high or low in intelligence, independence, and honesty. The students were also shown a photograph and asked to rate the man or woman based on their physical appearance. The results "indicated a substantial effect" when the characteristic of honesty was applied. The study revealed, "...the honest target, as opposed to the dishonest target, was seen as being more fit and in better health and as having a face that looked more kind, feminine, and attractive." Being hone...

If you're looking to catch a man, you might just want to start mimicking him. For real.  People naturally have the tendency to imitate others' posture, mannerisms and behaviors — often times without even realizing they're doing it. The article "Where is the love? The social aspects of mimicry," written by psychology experts and researchers, revealed "when we are more concerned with others, depend more on them, feel closer to them, or want to be liked by them, we tend to take over their behaviour to greater extent." But that's not all imitation can do. A study cited by the experts found that people who were mimicked by someone ended up liking that person more and had "smoother interactions." Another study that was referenced implemented a "realistic interface agent" or virtual reality avatar who would either imitate participants' head movements or perform different movements. The mimicking avatars were considered both "mor...

If there were a super simple action you could take to attract a romantic partner, would you do it? The "Attraction Doctor" and author of the book of the same name, Jeremy Nicholson, told Shape that simply showing interest in, and listening to, your date is "like an aphrodisiac, and will cause the other person to find you more attractive." So, how does one actually show interest? Science has determined that, much like other mammals, our body language — or, more specifically, movements — play a role in attracting a mate. As it happens, what women can do to attract a man is not much different from what female gorillas do to attract a mate. From pursing their lips to maintaining eye contact, they've got this attraction thing figured out. In a more human and practical way, Nicholson advises leaning in toward your date, smiling, and making — and keeping — eye contact. You've got this!

While you may be (justifiably) lusting over a Hermés handbag, both men and women don't find luxury purchases so attractive when they're made by their potential partners. At least that's what Theresa E. DiDonato, Associate Professor of Psychology at Loyola University Maryland, and Brittany K. Jakubiak from the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, revealed in their 2015 study. As part of their research, participants were asked to read descriptions of a stranger's purchase decisions, which included whether the purchase was "eco-friendly" or "luxury." The participants then reported what they thought of the stranger — including their "potential romantic interest."  The professors revealed, writing, "Compared to luxury purchasers, eco-friendly purchasers were ascribed greater warmth, competence, and good partner traits, but less physical appeal, and they were preferred for long-term but not short-term relationships." ...

What is more important to men than looks? Contrary to what you may think, personality traits do matter. As part of a study by the Department of Psychology at the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom, 2,000 male college students were assigned to one of ten groups at random and asked to rate the attractiveness of women of different ages and sizes. In their respective groups, they either received positive information about the personalities of the women they were asked to rate, negative personality information, or received no information whatsoever. The result? "Participants provided with positive personality information perceived a wider range of body sizes as physically attractive compared with the control group," the abstract highlighted, "whereas participants provided with negative personality information perceived a narrower range of body sizes as attractive." Sure enough, this study proved that by possessing positive personality traits, you can directl...

If you're wondering if you should wear your hair up or down on a first date, science says men are more attracted to the latter. Using six hairstyles — short, medium-length, long, disheveled or messy, bun, and unkempt — researchers were able to determine just what men find attractive. In the end, only two hairstyles — long and medium-length hair — "had a significant positive effect on ratings of women's attractiveness." Additionally, men considered women with longer-length hair to be healthier, "especially if the subjects were less attractive women."  While the other hairstyles "did not influence the evaluation of their physical beauty" one way or the other, having medium to long hair and letting it down downright mystifies men. Of course, how you decide to wear your hair is totally up to you, though it would be interesting to test out this theory on future dates.

Apparently, it's not enough to just think your date is funny, he also has to know you think he's funny. A study performed by three universities across the United States and Canada found that while both men and women are attracted to people who have a "good sense of humor," men interpret this phrase differently than women. They're not necessarily looking for a partner who is funny herself, but one that can appreciate a good joke — or more specifically, their jokes.  "Men emphasized the importance of their partners' receptivity to their own humor," the abstract read. Translation: men like it when women laugh at their jokes, but they don't care so much whether said woman is funny herself. A different study (via Mating Intelligence Unleashed) by a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Maryland found that women, too, are more likely to see themselves as the partner who appreciates humor, but not necessarily the one who produc...

More than likely, you are naturally adept at one behavior men find most attractive. A comprehensive study of over 10,000 people found that kindness was "universally desired." Just as you are looking for a kindhearted partner, men, too, are looking for someone with a similar disposition. The study further linked kindness to "a cooperative disposition, interest in long-term relationships, ability to form social alliances, and empathy in rearing children." So, it's not hard to see why kindness is attractive. But, could it really be just that simple? It appears so. "No articles are giving advice on how to be 'nice,' even though we'd all be so much better off simply being kind rather than spending hours in front of the mirror," Ken Page, the author of Deeper Dating, told Shape. Your kindness will likely be evident on a first date simply by being considerate, such as arriving on time and being polite to your restaurant server.