There’s a scientific reason why you keep picking the wrong guys on a night out

You might blame your hook-up with that creep on the one drink too many, but apparently your poor judgement is all down to your brain playing tricks with your senses. A new study called “Show Versus Tell? The Effects of Mating Context on Women’s Memory for a Man’s Physical Features and Verbal Statements” from Journal of Social and Personal Relationships has proven that our judgement can take a hit when it comes to a pretty (or handsome) face. The study looked at how women approach a night out, and it seems we’re masters of rose-tinted glasses. Apparently when women are very physically attracted to a potential partner, their brain can drown out rude behaviour or less desirable language (i.e. the cheesy chat-up lines or irritating bravado). These hook-ups tend to be a short-term casual affair, and when the brain is over the initial instant physical attraction, we tend to grow bored. And come to our senses. The opposite however is true for women who want a long-term partner. Researchers asked a group of 125 women to determine if they wanted a man as a short-term partner of a long-term partner. The women were then given a surprise memory test, asking the subjects how much they could remember from the man’s appearance and verbal statements. As well as being asked to describe the man’s “eyes, nose, eyebrows, shoulders, facial and body hair and body build,” the women were quizzed on “his university, major and minor in school, community, favourite foods, feelings about competition, workout habits, scholarship, mother’s and father’s occupations and family history of heart disease.” So what were the findings? Although we’d clearly all prefer a man who was attractive and interesting, the results showed that women who claimed to want only a short-term casual relationship were able to recall physical attributes but were poor at remembering phrases and information of note. Those who marked themselves as interested in finding a long-term partner were less likely to remember physical attributes quite as sharply, but could share details from the verbal conversation. According to the study: “When considering a man as a short-term sexual partner…women are not likely to benefit substantially from a short-term mate’s status and resources, and they understand that casual sex is not likely to lead to a long-term relationship. Instead, they benefit from securing high-quality genes, which can be passed onto their offspring.” So ladies, your less suitable suitors were more likely down to your brain’s internal Tinder game. Just try to remember any of the details he does tell you for the breakfast table. That aren’t offensive or will make you regret last night’s decision…