Selflessness can be attractive to a potential mate

Altruistic or selfless behaviour is an attractive trait in a potential sexual partner, according to new research led by researchers from The University of Nottingham and Liverpool John Moores University. Researchers conducted an experiment with 32 women and 35 men, asking them to rate the attractiveness of the opposite sex based on a list of qualities, including attributes that were selfless such as 'he does the shopping for his elderly neighbour', and those that were considered neutral such as preferences for food. The results, which have been published in the September issue of the BMC Evolutionary Biology, showed that both sexes rated potential partners for a long-term relationship as more attractive when they were told that the person had invested in altruistic acts, such as caring for a sick relative or doing voluntary work in their community. The study also found that those surveyed rated individuals significantly more attractive as potential long-term partners when they displayed helping behaviours. However, this behaviour had a smaller effect on male attractiveness, and no significant effect on female attractiveness, when the same people were rated as potential partners for a short fling. Dr Freya Harrison, a Research Fellow in The University of Nottingham's Life Sciences Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, and senior author of the report said: "At first glance, it's difficult to see how natural selection could favour behaviours that involve investing significant time and resources to help others at a cost to oneself.