Finally the day came. Michael walked through the glass door, and Jessica’s heart sank. He looked like his picture, but something seemed to change for Jessica. Unfortunately, all those butterflies she had been feeling for the previous three days seemed to just fly away. Interestingly, research has also found that if we had positive childhood experiences, we’re more likely to be attracted to individuals who have similar characteristics to our opposite-sex parent. One study found that people were able successfully able to pick out a photo of a woman’s husband based on pictures of her father. But it’s not just your hands that can vote; your butt can, too. Sitting on a warm, fluffy couch will make you warm up to a person faster than sitting on a cold, stiff plastic chair. Jessica’s sensory committee might have vetoed Michael, but I suspect they’ll find someone to agree on soon. She is a contributing author at scienceofrelationship.com, a collection of leading experts in the field of scientific relationship research. She is a TEDx speaker on How Your Brain Falls in Love and worked with the TED Education division to create their Science of Attraction video. Her work has been featured on South Florida Today, Pittsburgh Tribune and NPR. Her online videos have had over 2 million views. In addition to the book, she has created The Great Love Experiment, a show where audience members learn about the science of love by participating in research reenactments on stage. It’s a fun and often hilarious event that she does at colleges, comedy clubs and singles events.
