I admit I’m a guitar player. Of course I started playing the instrument because of the joy of music. Not like all those other guys who learned to play the six string to attract females, learning very fast that eventually they will chose the bass player, singer or drummer instead of the guitar man.

Still, new quite funny, research shows that music sells. A man “previously evaluated as having a high level of physical attractiveness” asked young women on a shopping street for their phone number. When he was carrying a guitar case, 31 per cent obliged compared with 9 per cent when he was carrying a sports bag and 14 per cent when he carried no bag.

Abstract of the research:

This experiment tested the assumption that music plays a role in sexual selection. Three hundred young women were solicited in the street for their phone number by a young male confederate who held either a guitar case or a sports bag in his hands or had no bag at all. Results showed that holding a guitar case was associated with greater compliance to the request, thus suggesting that musical practice is associated with sexual selection.

But wait a minute, what about the girls? I found another research through BPS Research Digest. More men approached a woman lying on a beach when she had a tattoo on her back, and they approached more quickly. They also thought their chances of a date or sex were greater.

Abstract of the research:

Previous studies have indicated negative evaluations of women with tattoos. However, a study by Swami and Furnham (2007) showed that tattooed women were rated as less physically attractive but more sexually promiscuous. Given that men interpret women’s sexual intent according to their physical appearance, we predicted that women with tattoos would be more favorably approached by men. A temporary tattoo was placed on confederates’ lower back, or not, and all confederates were instructed to read a book while lying flat on their stomach on a well-known beach. Two experiments were conducted. The first experiment showed that more men (N = 220) approached the tattooed confederates and that the mean latency of their approach was quicker. A second experiment showed that men (N = 440) estimated to have more chances to have a date and to have sex on the first date with tattooed confederates. However, the level of physical attractiveness attributed to the confederate was not influenced by the tattoo condition. These results were discussed with respect to men’s possible misinterpretation of women wearing tattoos and the risks associated with this misinterpretation.

P.S.: I’m happily married with a great cello player who wrote an interesting piece last week on teacher language.