A date with Darwin: from the perspective of evolution, beauty plays an important role in the choice of partner. But what is beauty? There are no fixed measurements for beauty—but there are rules and laws of nature according to which we can evaluate good appearance. Modern behavioural biology examines the signal effect of face and body and recognises that our appearance has a considerable effect on choice of partner. But not all aspects have yet been sufficiently researched. With their studies, the behavioural biologists from Göttingen hope to open a new chapter in the history of the search for the ideal partner. It’s sure to be anything but boring: what role do, for example, the appearance of the skin or the body movements of another play? (DFG)
16.06.2009
Love à la Darwin
Do inner values matter? Mate choice from the perspective of evolution
> Watch!
30.06.2009
Test Couple Wanted
Eyes, legs, bottom: What do men and women look for when choosing the ideal partner? Why do they find one another attractive? And do tastes really differ?
> Watch!
13.07.2009
My Kind of Guy
Oh man! Christine is ogling loads of strange men today, and it’s all in the name of research. While she eyes the men up, the researchers measure the direction and duration of her gaze. What is her kind of guy?
> Watch!
06.08.2009
Skin and Love
Getting superficial: What makes a woman’s face beautiful? Using model faces, the researchers aim to answer this question – and first and foremost: What role do wrinkles and complexion play in finding a partner?
> Watch!
07.09.2009
Happiness Made to Measure
Is it possible to describe the attraction between two people according to their vital statistics? Scientists claim that you can! Or at least there are certain features that affect men’s and women’s perception of the opposite sex.
> Watch!
23.09.2009
Dirty Dancing
The moving man: How do movements affect the opposite sex? Olli takes the dance test…
> Watch!
26.10.2009
Want to Go Shopping? Of Course!
Justification for full wardrobes? Why ovulation makes women want to go shopping.
> Watch!
14.12.2009
Masculine, More Masculine, the Most Masculine
Are men really more daring than women and what has that got to do with the ring finger?
> Watch!
11.01.2010
Can You Read a Face like a Book?
What type of personality should my dream partner have? And, can I infer what type of personality a person has from what his face looks like?
> Watch!
18.01.2010
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Am I beautiful? Christine is worrying about her appearance. Who defines what beautiful is, anyway?
> Watch!
25.01.2010
The Last Time
Has love reached the end? Why the end is just the beginning and why partner selection is a life’s work.
> Watch!
- Further information on the project can be found on the DFG Science TV website.
- The project has also been covered in the DFG magazine “forschung” 3/2009.