Why Finding Love Online May Have Everything To Do With Your Posture

   By SheSpeaksTeam  Mar 29, 2016

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If you’re a part of the online dating community then you know how important that profile picture can be. We rely heavily on that photo to make a good first impression on potential partners since that’s basically all we have before they swipe left or go on to the next profile. A new study suggests there may be an easy way to catch someone’s eye on dating sites that has everything to do with the way you hold yourself, so listen up and stop slouching.

CNN reports about the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that finds people who have better posture in photos are more likely to attract potential partners online. Pictures that showed users standing up straight or even taking up lots of room with outstretched arms were all more successful at drawing people’s attention online.

The research was based on two studies that found images showing people with outstretched limbs, torsos and straight backs were twice as likely to see success in online dating communities than those who crossed their arms or slouched in their pics. They call this way of holding yourself “postural expansiveness” and it really works for both humans and animals.

One of the study’s co-authors Tanya Vacharkulksemsuk explains how the study’s findings compare to rules already set forth in the animal kingdom. She says, “We've seen it in the animal world, that taking up more space and maximizing presence in a physical space is used as signal for attracting a mate. By exerting dominance they're trying to signal to a potential mate 'I am able to do things, I have a space in this hierarchy, I have access to resources.’”

The same rules apply for speed dating, but since this involves real life interactions participants can move around while they talk and take up more space. The study found that participants who gestured with their hands and moved their arms while talking were more likely to be successful daters than people who stood still or crossed their arms while conversing.

What do you think of the study that suggests having better posture and taking up more space in a photo will make you more successful at online dating?

Do you try and be aware of the way you hold yourself on dates and when taking photos?