Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A April 2016 PMID 27035937

Dominant, open nonverbal displays are attractive at zero-acquaintance.

Tanya Vacharkulksemsuk, Emily Reit, Poruz Khambatta, Paul W Eastwick, Eli J Finkel, Dana R Carney

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Mentions

201

Peak: 3 in Nov 2025

across 6 sources since Aug 2022

Extended reach

12,020,593

potential audience

Total likes

316,110

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Aug 2022 – Dec 2025

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AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall tone shows genuine curiosity and recognition of the study’s relevance to everyday social behaviors, with posts citing examples like manspreading and its connection to increased matches, indicating interest and moderate engagement. The mention of the research being linked to articles and researchers suggests a desire to understand the implications deeply, but the tone remains more observational than urgent or transformative.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the validity or relevance of the research, especially with posts mentioning the study or its implications for dating practices.

InterestHigh interest

Posts express high interest by highlighting how common behaviors like manspreading relate to attraction, showing engagement with the topic.

EngagementModerate engagement

The discussions include references to specific examples such as social behaviors and potential research implications, indicating moderate engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

While some recognize the influence of physical displays on social and romantic success, the overall perceived impact remains moderate, as some posts mainly share or reference rather than advocate strongly for change.

Abstract in brief

The studies show that being physically expansive—like taking up more space—makes someone more attractive in romantic settings.
In a speed-dating study, people who exhibited expansive postures were nearly twice as likely to get a positive response from their date.
A larger experiment confirmed that in online dating, people preferred profiles with expansive postures, which may signal dominance and increase their appeal.

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