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LONDON - It's called love at first sight, and if you don't believe in it, then you're out of step with the latest research on the human face and sexual behaviour published by scientists in Britain Wednesday.
In the study of 700 twenty-something heterosexuals by the universities of Durham, St Andrews and Aberdeen, results showed that one look can be enough to gauge whether a long-term relationship is on the cards, or just a one-night stand.
According to the research in the journal "Evolution and Human Behaviour", subtle sexual signals emanate from the shape of the jaw, nose size or narrowness of the eyes -- although people were not always sure about their judgments, the authors noted.
"Lots of previous studies have shown that people can judge a lot about a person from their face, including things like health and even some personality traits like introversion," said Ben Jones, from the University of Aberdeen's Face Research Lab.
"But this really is the first study to show that people are also sensitive to subtle facial signals about the type of romantic relationships that others might enjoy."
Men with traits perceived as more virile -- square jaws, larger noses and smaller-then-average eyes -- were more regularly imagined by women as chasing short-term gratification.
The study added that women who give off come-to-bed looks are considered the most attractive by both men and women.
Women with full lips and eyes larger than average appear to send messages of sexual availability.
"Our results suggest that although some people can judge the sexual strategy of others simply from looking at their face, people are not always sure about their judgments possibly because the cues are very subtle," added Lynda Boothroyd from Durham University's Psychology Department.
"Yet preferences for different types of face were actually quite strong.
"This shows that these initial impressions may be part of how we assess potential mates -- or potential rivals -- when we first meet them."
In one study carried out by a sample of 153 people, more than 72 per cent correctly detected the intentions of persons shown to them on a photograph. - AFP/ra
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