Men become kinder and more caring when there is an attractive woman nearby, while women in close proximity to an attractive man don’t change their behavior much, according to a new study.
As reported by the UK’s Daily Mail, the study in the British Journal of Psychology investigated how having an audience influences a person’s behavior and actions.
British and Dutch researchers invited 130 men and women to play a computer game. The volunteers were told that they could donate money into a communal pot and that the money would be doubled and divided among all the players at the end of the game.
Some participants played the game alone. Others sat near an attractive man or woman.
According to the Daily Mail, the men sitting within reach of an attractive woman donated 28 percent more money than their peers who were being watched by a man. They also donated more than men who sat by themselves.
However, the female participants’ behavior remained consistent—they donated the same amount regardless of whether they were alone or being watched.
In a second experiment, the researchers changed the scenario so that it had multiple rounds. The men grew more competitive when watched by a woman, with each trying to prove his generosity by giving away the most money. On the other hand, men who played alone or with another man nearby gave away less money as the game progressed.
In addition, men were asked whether they would volunteer for charity. Unsurprisingly, those being watched by an attractive woman were most likely to volunteer their time.