Alert to Hot Women: Men Think You Want Them

A new study shows that men commonly misread a woman's attraction

What's the biggest gift some men bestow upon themselves? The gift of delusion, according to a new study to be published in Psychological Science that says that the more beautiful the woman, the better a man thinks his chances are with her.

The study looked at 100 men and 100 women, all heterosexual and college-age. They were asked to rate their own attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 7. Next, the researchers created a “speed dating” scenario where subjects had three-minute one-on-one conversations with five members of the opposite sex. After each conversation, they had to rate the other person’s attractiveness and attraction to them.

According to the study’s lead author, evolutionary psychologist Carin Perilloux at University of Texas, that was when things got interesting. The more attractive a man found a woman, the higher the chance that he would overestimate her interest in him. What was most unexpected was that the less attractive guys were the ones most likely to think the most attractive women wanted them. Women, on the other hand, could have used some of that bravado. Whether they were considered attractive or not by others, they underestimated the men’s sexual interest in them.

“For men, the best piece of advice is to be more cautious if you’re interested in someone," Perilloux told MSNBC.com. Though the researchers did acknowledge that from an evolutionary standpoint, being super-confident had likely helped when it came time for finding and pursuing a partner.

Jozen Cummings, whose blog Until I Get Married has rendered him an expert observer on all things female, suggests that a woman "should remember if a man has initiated conversation with her, it's generally by design, not by accident. Men are pretty deliberate when they speak to women and always factor in the risk of rejection. So just remember, if he approaches you, therein lies the compliment."

Maybe in 2012, everyone can gift themselves the peace of mind that comes with properly reading signals.