Does he want babies? Just take a glance

WOMEN can tell if a man wants to have children just by looking him in the face.

A study in the United States found that women are able to subconsciously pick up clues about whether a man is interested in children just by glancing at him.

This feminine "radar" helps women determine if they are attracted to someone for a long-term relationship.

The researchers also found that women's judgements of men's masculinity accurately reflected their testosterone levels, meaning they may be attracted to this type for short-term relationships rather than as potential husbands.

Dr James Roney, the lead researcher, from the University of California at Santa Barbara, said: "Our data suggest men's interest in children predicts their long-term mate attractiveness even after we account for how physically attractive the women rated the men."

The researchers, writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, recruited 39 male undergraduates, who were tested for testosterone levels and questioned about their affinity with children.

The men were shown pairs of pictures, one depicting an adult and the other a baby, and asked which they preferred.

Five men showed no interest in the baby images, while the rest showed a range of preferences. Some were exclusively drawn to the baby pictures.

Photographs of the men wearing a neutral expression were then taken and shown to 29 female students.

The women were asked to provide ratings according to whether they thought the men liked children, appeared masculine, physically attractive, or kind.

They were also invited to determine each man's attractiveness as a short-term romantic partner, or a potential partner for a long-term relationship.

The researchers found that the men picked out as being most interested in children were also those who had shown the greatest preference for baby pictures.

The women were also able to correctly identify the men with high testosterone levels, perceiving them as looking masculine.

The women said they were attracted to men who tested high for testosterone.

But their judgment of a man's affinity with children was an important factor when considering long-term relationships.

"The research suggests that men's interest in children may be a relatively under-appreciated influence on men's long-term mate attractiveness," Dr Roney said.

Dr Andrina McCormack, an applied psychologist based near Dundee, said it was common for people to feel a "pull" to someone just by looking in their eyes.

She said that individuals could make split second judgements about someone based only on how they looked.

"It is all about power, strength and control," she said. "If you want a long-term relationship you are looking for someone who seems to show companionship, comfort and closeness.

"But if you are looking for sex you are just looking for someone who seems to be up for it."