A recent study in Communications Psychology found that those who can align their physiological responses with others in various tasks, are perceived as more attractive. This suggests synchronization might play a significant role in human romantic attraction.
Physiological synchrony involves aligning physiological responses like heart rates and respiration during social interactions. This synchrony can enhance feelings of closeness and relationship satisfaction. Prior studies have shown partners with synchronized heart rates or respiratory patterns report higher intimacy and cooperation.
Researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem conducted a series of experiments. The first study, an online experiment with 144 participants who watched videos of a man and a woman interacting with high or low synchrony. Participants rated the actors’ attractiveness and perceived mutual attraction higher in the high synchrony condition, suggesting synchrony enhances perceived attractiveness.
Next, they conducted a speed-dating experiment with 48 participants wearing Empatica E4 wristbands to measure physiological arousal. Participants rated their attraction before and after each date. The data showed that those with higher synchrony levels, were consistently rated as more attractive.
The study found a correlation between synchrony in social contexts and performance in a non-social finger-tapping task, suggesting synchrony might be a general trait influencing attractiveness.
““We discovered that the ability to synchronize is stable across tasks and across partners. Some people are Super Synchronizers, and Super Synchronizers are consistently rated as more attractive. Being sensitive to a partner and attuning to them can help promote romantic bonding. This is because synchronized physiological states can improve regulation across various bodily systems, making interactions more fulfilling and suggesting cognitive and evolutionary advantages,” stated author, Shir Atzil.
M Cohen et al. Social and nonsocial synchrony are interrelated and romantically attractive. Communications Psychology (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00109-1
