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Gaze 'key to facial attraction'  
 
You can alter your attraction to the opposite sex simply by looking straight at them and smiling, research suggests. A study of hundreds of volunteers at Stirling and Aberdeen Universities found averting the eyes even a fraction can make you appear less attractive. 

In the Royal Society's Proceedings B journal, they say the direction of gaze plays a role alongside a symmetrical face or healthy skin. An expert said it may stop people wasting energy on pointless courtships. 

It suggests that how attractive you find someone is governed partly by how likely you are to be successful. 

The study used pictures of male and female faces which had been subtly digitally manipulated. 

In one picture, a woman might be looking straight at the camera, while in the next, a tiny adjustment meant she would be looking marginally to the left or right. 

The difference was so small that it was not immediately obvious to the viewer. 

However, after these pictures were shown to 460 men and women, who were asked to rate them for "attractiveness", it became clear that it was having a pronounced subliminal effect. 

In some pictures, there was an eight-fold difference in ratings between the "straight to camera" and averted gazes. 

While many studies have found links between face shape, expression and other physical "cues" to attraction, this is one of the first to look in more detail at the direction of gaze. 

The researchers wrote: "Mating effort is a finite resource that should be allocated judiciously, and preferences for direct gaze in opposite-sex faces would increase the likelihood of allocating mating effort to potential mates who are most likely to reciprocate." 

One of the paper's authors, Dr Claire Conway, said: "People prefer faces that appear to 'like' them, showing that attraction is not simply about physical beauty." 

Professor Ruth Mace, a researcher into evolutionary anthropology at University College London, said that while this seemed an obvious principle, it could be a sign of evolution at work. 

She said: "It's a pretty clear signal whether a person is interested in you or whether you are wasting your time. "But it suggests that how attractive you find someone is governed partly by how likely you are to be successful." 

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Right name 'improves sex appeal'

The difference between who is sexy and who is not may all be in their name. 
The most important factor is the type of vowel sound within a person's name, research by Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggested. 

Men with a "front vowel" sound made at the front of the mouth, such as "a" in Matt, were most attractive to women. 

Those with a "back vowel" sound, such as "aw" in Paul or George, were less sexy, New Scientist magazine said. In women, the situation is reversed. 

Hot or not? 

Men were more attracted to those with back vowel sounds in their names, such as Jordan, Rachel, or Kylie. ...But Nicole Kidman does not, according to US researchers 

Women with front vowel sounds, such as Kate, Emma or Elizabeth were considered less attractive. 

The study was carried out by linguist Amy Perfors, who posted photographs of men and women on the "Hot or Not?" website, which invites viewers to rate strangers' attractiveness. 

Each photo was posted at different times, with different names, to see what difference this would make to their attractiveness ratings. 

Sexy names? 
Edgar 	Christopher 	Martin 	Daniel 		Claudia 	Jade 	Rita 	Gloria  

While most scientists believe there is no inherent relationship between the sound of a word and its meaning, Perfors believes there is some evidence to the contrary. 

She says front vowel sounds are often perceived as "smaller" than back vowel sounds, so the difference could be that women were seeking "sensitive" or "gentle" men - traits often considered "feminine". 

Unsexy names? 
Norman 	George 	Peter 	Tony 	Hannah 	Emily 	Nicole 		Cherie  

Other studies have also shown men with slightly feminine characteristics to be attractive to women. 

But men thinking of switching to more feminine names to approve their luck with the ladies should beware - men with women's names were ranked least attractive of all. 

Having a man's name, such as Bob, had no negative effects on women's attractiveness ratings. 

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Partner choice 'shaped by father'  
 
Much as she might hate to admit it, a woman's choice of partner may depend a lot on her own father. Scientists have found women who were treated well by their dad during childhood are attracted to men who resemble their father facially. 

But the link is lost on women who did not have good relationships with their fathers. 

The research, led by a psychologist at Durham University, is published in Evolution and Human Behaviour. Author Dr Lynda Boothroyd said the findings added to our understanding of how we become attracted to certain types of people. 

She said such knowledge could have implications for fields such as relationship counselling. 

Researchers said celebrities such as Nigella Lawson and Zoe Ball backed up their findings. 

A comparison of photographs of Charles Saatchi with Nigel Lawson and Norman "Fatboy Slim" Cook with Johnny Ball reveals some close correlations, especially in the central facial area, including the nose, chin and eyes , the research says. 

Women in the study were asked to rate pictures of men's faces for attractiveness, and assess their relationship with their fathers. 

The team compared the facial features of the men in the study, such as the width of nose and lips, to pictures of the women's fathers. 

They found in women who reported more positive relationships with their fathers, there was a link between the faces the women found most attractive and their father's faces. 

The study was the first of its kind to use facial measurements to assess the similarity of the faces. 

Dr Boothroyd said previously it had been thought selecting partners similar to our parents was because our parents are the people from whom we learn what our species looks like. But she said the research shows there is a more emotional component involved in the process. 

Dr George Fieldman, a psychologist and lecturer from Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, said the results were "very interesting". 

He said it seemed to show an adaptive response to being treated well by our parents - women are making the underlying assumption people who look like their father might act in the same way as him. Hence they are attracted to people who look similar to their dads only if their fathers treated them well as children. 

Dr Fieldman said: "The paper shows that there seems to be an environmental influence over what we find attractive. 

"It is important to understand attraction, as your choice of partner is a very important decision both for your own sake and for the sake of your offspring."