Risky Attraction

Editor's Weekly Ramblings 145

June 29th 2006

Risky Attraction

Are you attracted to the Houdini type? Do you find daredevils and risk takers sexy? Looking back to our early ancestors who were hunters and gatherers, it seems like it would have been in the interest of females to seek out a mate who was a risk taker. The brave, fit men were probably the ones who brought home the prime cuts of meat, were admired by other men, and were the more desirable suitors.

Some train surfers in South Africa think their daredevil behaviour will impress girls.

Fast forward to recent news events in South Africa and some young men seem to be counting on girls having evolutionary inklings. A security guard strike in Johannesburg has resulted in an increase in young men 'train surfing', which typically involves climbing on top a train and dodging bridges and power cables while assuming a surfer pose. Needless to say, there have been countless horrific accidents - but some guys persist, seeing their success at this dangerous activity as a prime way of impressing girls.

Is it worth the risk? Evolutionary psychologist G. William Farthing from the University of Maine has been studying risky behaviour and how this relates to attractiveness. In one study, he predicted that women would be attracted to risk takers and set out to test this hypothesis by surveying 48 men and 52 women all under the age of 30. Not only did his study look at potential mates, but also at people's preferences when it came to same-sex friends.