Love is all about eye contact

Now, researchers have concluded that 'The Look of Love' is, indeed, all in the eyes. Looking directly at someone makes you more attractive to them,they says. The finding, from the Face Research Laboratory at Aberdeen University, challenges on previous studies that had attributed attractiveness to physical characteristics — such as a preference for symmetrical faces, large lips in women and strong jaw-lines in men.

Dr Claire Conway, author of the study, which was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society the journal, said that maintaining eye contact and smiling makes you more attractive to your girl or boy friend.

The study used pictures of male and female faces which had been subtly digitally manipulated. In one picture, a woman might be looking straight at the camera, while in the next, a tiny adjustment meant she would be looking marginally to the left or right.

The difference was so small that it was not immediately obvious to the viewer.

However, after these pictures were shown to 460 men and women, who were asked to rate them for "attractiveness", it became clear that it was having a pronounced subliminal effect.

In some pictures, there was an eight-fold difference in ratings between the "straight to camera" and averted gazes. Conway and fellow researchers analysed the effect of gaze direction, facial expressions and gender on attractiveness.

Participants were found to be more attracted to happy faces, looking directly at them and of the opposite sex.

"When asked to think of examples of attractive facial characteristics, most people think of physical traits such as healthy looking skin or a strong jaw," the researchers said. "Here, we show that gaze direction can also be important for attraction.

"Faces that were looking directly at the viewer were judged more attractive than faces with averted gaze.

"This shows that people prefer faces that appear to like them and that attraction is not simply about physical beauty."