Lilith
08-02-2005, 02:37 PM
(gg)
LONDON (Reuters) - Forget expensive presents or costly
jewelry. Wining and dining is the best way for men to
woo women, scientists said Tuesday.
Researchers at Imperial College London developed a
mathematical formula and modeled courtship as a
sequential game to find the best way to impress the
ladies.
Their results show that offering an expensive present
signals the man's serious intentions but he must be
wary of being exploited by gold-diggers who will dump
him after receiving the gift.
"Guys are less likely to offer expensive gifts to
females they don't have a long-term interest in. And
girls won't be impressed with cheap gifts. By offering
expensive but worthless gifts, such as dinner and
theater trips, the male pays no cost if the invitation
isn't accepted," said Dr Peter Sozou, of University
College London (UCL).
If women are not interested they are unlikely to
accept the invitation, according to the research
published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal
Society of London B.
The researchers said giving gifts was a feature of
courtship in humans and other species to impress
females. Physical attraction is an important element
but offering gifts also helps.
"Our analysis shows there is evolutionary logic in men
'burning money' to impress the girl," said Professor
Robert Seymour of UCL's department of mathematics.
LONDON (Reuters) - Forget expensive presents or costly
jewelry. Wining and dining is the best way for men to
woo women, scientists said Tuesday.
Researchers at Imperial College London developed a
mathematical formula and modeled courtship as a
sequential game to find the best way to impress the
ladies.
Their results show that offering an expensive present
signals the man's serious intentions but he must be
wary of being exploited by gold-diggers who will dump
him after receiving the gift.
"Guys are less likely to offer expensive gifts to
females they don't have a long-term interest in. And
girls won't be impressed with cheap gifts. By offering
expensive but worthless gifts, such as dinner and
theater trips, the male pays no cost if the invitation
isn't accepted," said Dr Peter Sozou, of University
College London (UCL).
If women are not interested they are unlikely to
accept the invitation, according to the research
published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal
Society of London B.
The researchers said giving gifts was a feature of
courtship in humans and other species to impress
females. Physical attraction is an important element
but offering gifts also helps.
"Our analysis shows there is evolutionary logic in men
'burning money' to impress the girl," said Professor
Robert Seymour of UCL's department of mathematics.