Have you ever heard that the average man thinks about sex every seven seconds? We (and most people) have, which is why we were so interested in this recent post from Science Daily. The reality (according to a study in the Journal of Sex Research) turns out to be quite different from this old piece of folk-wisdom. True, men did think about sex more often than women, but both think about it exponentially less frequently than we commonly believe.

Check it out:

Men may think about sex more often than women do, but a new study suggests that men also think about other biological needs, such as eating and sleep, more frequently than women do, as well. And the research discredits the persistent stereotype that men think about sex every seven seconds, which would amount to more than 8,000 thoughts about sex in 16 waking hours.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!

Here is a really cool (or possibly scary) thing: we can judge certain characteristics of people rather accurately based solely on our brief first impressions. This is by no means a new idea. College students have been able to predict the ratings of professors from 10 second video clips of their lectures (without sound, no less). A new study actually suggests that some of our first impressions, such as the trustworthyness, kindness, and compassion of others, may have a basis in our DNA.

Have a look at the original article from Science Daily:

There’s definitely something to be said for first impressions. New research suggests it can take just 20 seconds to detect whether a stranger is genetically inclined to being trustworthy, kind or compassionate. The findings reinforce that healthy humans are wired to recognize strangers who may help them out in a tough situation. They also pave the way for genetic therapies for people who are not innately sympathetic, researchers said.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!

ScienceDaily just posted about a great literature review regarding the hormone oxytocin. Although it appears that oxytocin is involved in social activities that include feelings of closeness (such as sex, kissing, nurturing behaviors, etc.), its effects have been greatly overstated and misinterpreted. People have gone so far as to suggest hugging a potential romantic partner for 30 seconds when you first meet them, because it releases oxytocin and will make them like you more. (We think that a 30 second hug at the end of a first date is probably creepy enough to negate any hormonal effects. Really, give it a shot; thirty seconds is a lot longer than it sounds like.)

An important point made by the article is that the effects of oxytocin are (as is so often the case when looking at the way our brains function) far more complex. It may in fact be the case that oxytocin is less a determinant of “closeness” and more involved in what psychologists call approach motivation. This can include feelings, like anger and anxiety, that we are more likely to label as unpleasant.

For more information about the complex effects of oxytocin, read the original post:

For a hormone, oxytocin is pretty famous. It’s the “cuddle chemical” — the hormone that helps mothers bond with their babies. Salespeople can buy oxytocin spray on the internet, to make their clients trust them. It’s known for promoting positive feelings, but more recent research has found that oxytocin can promote negative emotions, too.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!

This is a great review of some recent research on “mirroring” (or copying others’ body language). Older studies confirmed that people who are romantically interested in each other, or in romantic relationships, mirror each other’s nonverbal behaviors. Mistaking correlation (two things occurring together, regardless of cause) for causality (when one occurrence actually causes another), many have misinterpreted these results. For years now, people have been encouraged to copy body language in social situations such as flirting, job interviews, etc. ScienceDaily reviews an upcoming paper in the prestigious journal Psychological Science in which the authors dispute this advice.

Give it a read:

The benefits of body-language mimicry have been confirmed by numerous psychological studies. And in popular culture, mirroring is frequently urged on people as a strategy — for flirting or having a successful date, for closing a sale or acing a job interview. But new research suggests that mirroring may not always lead to positive social outcomes. In fact, sometimes the smarter thing to do is to refrain.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!

Interesting new study out of the University of Montreal. It seems that, at least in homes where sexuality is discusses, teens learn more about sex from their parents than their friends or the media.

Check it out:

The results of a national online study show that 45 percent consider their parents to be their sexuality role model. Shattering stereotypes that parents and society hold about teen sexuality, the survey also revealed that only 32 percent looked to their friends and just 15 percent took inspiration from celebrities.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!

Very cool study out of Missouri School of Journalism that was picked up by Science Daily. It’s not surprising that people show a preference for social networking that includes human voice; after all, it’s very hard to convey emotion via text :) ! It would seem like a natural extension of this research to test a voice greeting on dating sites. Check it out:

Researchers have found that utilizing a personal human voice when communicating online leads to much higher user satisfaction ratings than impersonal communication.

Read the rest of the post at the original site, and be sure to visit ScienceDaily: Relationship News!