Slashdot Mirror


Attractive Women Make Men Temporarily Stupid

Ponca City, We love you writes "The Telegraph reports that men who spend even a few minutes in the company of an attractive woman perform less well in tests designed to measure brain function than those who chat to someone they do not find attractive. This leads to speculation that men use up so much of their brain function or 'cognitive resources' trying to impress beautiful women, they have little left for other tasks. Psychologists at Radboud University in The Netherlands carried out the study after one of them was so struck on impressing an attractive woman he had never met before, that he could not remember his address when she asked him where he lived. Researchers recruited 40 male heterosexual students and had each one perform a standard memory test. The volunteers then spent seven minutes chatting to male or female members of the research team before repeating the test. The results showed that men were slower and less accurate after trying to impress the women. The more they fancied them, the worse their score."

25 of 652 comments (clear)

  1. Easier explanation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The blood rushes from one head to the other head.

    1. Re:Easier explanation by pete-classic · · Score: 5, Funny

      As Robin Williams put it, "See, the problem is that God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time."

      -Peter

    2. Re:Easier explanation by Narpak · · Score: 5, Funny

      This study seems like a barely concealed reason to bring attractive women into the lab. In fact I would wager that this is the first time the line "Want to come to my lab for some 'test'?" has actually worked.

    3. Re:Easier explanation by PC+and+Sony+Fanboy · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have a semi-rare condition where pheromones are very obvious to me.

      I have a semi-rare medical condition that makes my head hurt when I smell bullsh*t.

    4. Re:Easier explanation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Being able to sense the drug incoming, I was able to examine my reaction over the years.

      THOMAS (The Human Oxytocin-Mediated Attachment System) How to run a con

      Schneir on Oxytocin

      Oxytocin.

      Now, you know that whole "chemistry" thing, where some people strike you as attractive and some just... don't? That's in part determined by the differences between your immune systems.

      That works because if the genes that code for your major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are similar to the other person's, you'll tend to find them less attractive than otherwise, and vice-versa. Why mate with someone who's immune to the same stuff you are? Your offspring won't have any survival advantage. Instead, evolution has selected for creatures that mate with partners whose immune systems are incompatible. Either because both parents tend to be unlikely to be sick at the same time, ensuring the presence of at least one caregiver. Or because some the offspring of such pairings get a mix of genes that features the the best bits of both parents. (Offspring that get the worst of both parents tend not to survive, but that's a problem for individuals, not the species.)

      Love is just a chemical reaction in your brain, anyway. It's not magical, or sacred, or even very special. It's your brain recognizing the opportunity to mate with someone who matches your particular template for an ideal partner (usually based on early experiences, parents, and other external factors), and shooting you up with natural drugs to make you feel like it's way more than it really is.

    5. Re:Easier explanation by Yoozer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Some girls actually can make my head hurt

      They're called spouses.

  2. This is just the male BIOS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I BSOD all time, where BSOD is Blank Stare Of Desire.

    And yes, I need a reboot to come back

    1. Re:This is just the male BIOS by NiteMair · · Score: 5, Funny

      For everyone's sake, please do your "rebooting" in private.

  3. Irresponsible Journalism by Takehiko · · Score: 5, Funny

    This story is worthless without pics!!!

    1. Re:Irresponsible Journalism by bar-agent · · Score: 5, Funny

      This story is worthless without pics!!!

      Well, the submitter had pics, but then he looked at them, got stupid, and forgot to include them.

      --
      i'd hit it so hard, if you pulled me out you'd be the king of britain [bash.org]
    2. Re:Irresponsible Journalism by PC+and+Sony+Fanboy · · Score: 5, Funny

      I thought the article was about attractive women...

  4. Trying to impress? by interactive_civilian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From TFSummary:

    This leads to speculation that men use up so much of their brain function or 'cognitive resources' trying to impress beautiful women, they have little left for other tasks.

    How about the even more simple explanation of just being distracted by the beautiful woman and imagining her naked with her legs wrapped around you is taking up all of your resources? "Trying to impress" doesn't need to come into it at all (and likely doesn't because usually having your mind so completely occupied that you become a dumbass doesn't really impress people), and seems like a stretch of a conclusion to come up with. Far more likely that thought of sex have simply completely taken over the brain and body, as they so often do..

    Like the old joke says, men have a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to operate one at a time. ;)

    --
    "Empathise with stupidity, and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot." - Iain M. Banks
  5. Never make a pretty woman your wife by myowntrueself · · Score: 5, Funny

    Theres a song, by the Skatellites.

    Obviously this now has a scientific basis:

    If you wanna be happy
    For the rest of your life,
    Never make a pretty woman your wife,
    So from my personal point of view,
    Get an ugly girl to marry you.

    A pretty woman makes her husband look small
    And very often causes his downfall.
    As soon as he marries her
    Then she starts to do
    The things that will break his heart.
    But if you make an ugly woman your wife,
    You'll be happy for the rest of your life,
    An ugly woman cooks her meals on time,
    She'll always give you peace of mind.

    If you wanna be happy
    For the rest of your life,
    Never make a pretty woman your wife,
    So from my personal point of view,
    Get an ugly girl to marry you.

    Don't let your friends say
    You have no taste,
    Go ahead and marry anyway,
    Though her face is ugly,
    Her eyes don't match,
    Take it from me she's a better catch.

    If you wanna be happy
    For the rest of your life,
    Never make a pretty woman your wife,
    So from my personal point of view,
    Get an ugly girl to marry you.

    Say man.
    Hey baby.
    Saw your wife the other day.
    Yeah?
    Yeah, she's ugly.
    Yeah, she's ugly but she sure can cook.
    Yeah?. Okay.

    If you wanna be happy
    For the rest of your life,
    Never make a pretty woman your wife,
    So from my personal point of view,
    Get an ugly girl to marry you.

    --
    In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
    1. Re:Never make a pretty woman your wife by garyrich · · Score: 5, Funny

      For your sake, I hope your wife does not have mod points. Actually either way you are sleeping on the couch

      --
      -- your Web browser is Ronald Reagan
    2. Re:Never make a pretty woman your wife by Neptunes_Trident · · Score: 5, Informative

      The song is called, "If You Wanna Be Happy" and is originally by Jimmy Soul, released 1963. Not by the band you mentioned. As a music lover, I must give credit where credit is due.

    3. Re:Never make a pretty woman your wife by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Mod this guy informative, and then get way the hell offa his lawn...

  6. Re:Attractive women? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'll explain it to you right after I finish imagining a Beowulf cluster of them...

  7. Re:Can I just add something here? by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Funny

    The women in Antarctica all have beards. Also, most of them are men. You may be thinking of penguins.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  8. Why the average Slashdotter is so smart by RobVB · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This explains why the average Slashdotter is so smart. They found the best solution to this problem: stay away from women, however beautiful they may be, altogether!

    The next time someone gives you crap for living in voluntary solitary confinement in your mom's basement, at least you'll know you're making the smart choice.

    --
    I'd rather you rationally disagree than irrationally agree.
  9. Dual core by TejWC · · Score: 5, Funny

    One time, a group of us guys were at the grocery store buying some beer. I was having a conversation with one of my friends at the checkout counter as I saw a really, really, hot girl. My eyes were attached to her and couldn't let go. I was able to keep up with the conversation despite not looking at my friend.

    He then asked "Are you really paying attention or are you just looking at that hot chick?"
    I replied, "No, I'm paying attention. I'm like a dual-core processor. One is for our conversation and the other is right now on the girl"
    Then my other friend said, "I am dual-core as well. But both cores are hung on that girl. "

  10. stupid*er* by mizerai · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe beautiful women just make the stupid psychological tests seem less important by comparison.

    --

    --Mizerai

  11. It Cuts Both Ways by mindbrane · · Score: 5, Funny

    Both genders are equally susceptible to the effects of hormones overriding their more rational thought processes. Our limbic system, (limbic I've recently been told is now a deprecated term to describe to describe our motivational systems) flush our more rational processes. What has become more apparent is that our wet core is necessary to our rational decision making no matter how we might like it to be otherwise. Women are just as hormonally driven as men and the study, perhaps unintentionally, perpetuates gender stereotyping and myth making that suggests the horned, male ego is pushing the agenda. It's a mark of cultivation and high intelligence that our libido can't cloud our objectivity. The female psyche may not be the eternal mystery to men that our mythology suggests although there are deep distinctive traits. I've been married and, if you count co-habitations as periods of 6 months or longer, then I've lived with 7 women. Although women, as a (stereo) type, might not count 6 months as a long term cohabitation and might just see it as typical of the male willingness to say anything and do anything just to get laid 2 or 3 times a day. In my experience, if emotions engendered by attractive, potential sex partners can inhibit our higher reasoning faculty, then emotions and drugs are devastating. Personally I've found the drunker I get the more attractive women find me. This effect is more pronounced if I'm alone on a bar stool and two or more attractive women are near by. Inevitably, as I nurse one drink after another, and glance their way, sooner or later, one or more return my interested looks and an uncontrolled giggle will escape. That's when I know they're attracted to me. Of course that kind of attention from beautiful women is unsettling and I usually down a few more quick drinks just to put things in perspective. It's then they can't seem to stop staring at me, and, just about then, the giggling stops and things get serious. I'm pretty sure their upset looks reflect a conflict among them as to which one will leave with me. Although I've never been able to verify my guess because about then one or all of them will ask the bartender to see me out. I take this as a consensus on their part that if one of them can't have me then, in the name of friendship, they'll jointly and severally forego my company. I usually leave peacefully not wanting to destroy any close friendships.

    --
    ideopath @ play
  12. I always wondered why I meet so many stupid men by siriuskase · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I go to lots of conferences where supposedly there are lots of brilliant men. But, when I meet them, they are just as stupid as the rest of the guys.

    --
    If you must moderate, please moderate as irrelevent, not something bad, because I'm sure someone will find this interest
  13. So obvious it MUST be true :-/ by interactive_civilian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Durrr... sorry to double comment on the same post, but I wanted to address this.

    Some things count as so obvious as to not require scientific inquiry. Hot women give get males wood. You don't need
    to publish this to claim it, end of story.

    Yes, and for centuries it was so obvious that no scientific scrutiny was required that the sun went around the earth, not the other way around. It was also completely obvious that a heavier object would fall faster than a lighter object. It was also obvious that things would get cold because the cold of the surroundings would flow into them. It was also so obvious that time passes at a constant rate, regardless of our perceptions and reference frames. It was also so obvious that humans are the only organisms to experience emotion and pain.

    Obviously there are a great many things that are so obvious as to not require scientific inquiry.

    Point being, a great many things are so obvious. A great many of those obvious things also turn out to be correct in light of empirical data. However, we are not allowed to treat those scientifically and draw scientific conclusions from them until they are established as empirical data. This is one of the fundamental requirements for science, and I would think people on a "news for nerds" site would get that. Taking the obvious for granted as true is exactly the kind of mentality that brings about pseudoscience. Science requires empiricism, even for the bleedingly obvious.

    --
    "Empathise with stupidity, and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot." - Iain M. Banks
  14. Re:Works on Women Too! by Barsteward · · Score: 5, Funny

    fall down when getting out of the car

    thats due to the alcohol content required to get her into your car

    --
    "The hands that help are better far than lips that pray." - Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899)