You end your texts with a period
So, it might seem like proper grammar and all, but there’s one punctuation mark that is perceived as more passive-aggressive than all of the rest: the period. A study conducted at Binghamton University said that when 126 undergraduates were presented with a series of text exchanges, they found those sentences ending with a period to be less sincere than everything else. “Texting is lacking many of the social cues used in actual face-to-face conversations. When speaking, people easily convey social and emotional information with eye gaze, facial expressions, tone of voice, pauses, and so on," lead researcher Celia Klin PhD, said in statement. "People obviously can't use these mechanisms when they are texting. Thus, it makes sense that texters rely on what they have available to them—emoticons, deliberate misspellings that mimic speech sounds and, according to our data, punctuation." If nothing ends your text better than a period, or an exclamation mark makes you feel like you’re trying too hard, consider just leaving it open. It’s better than the alternative. Period. These are other annoying texting habits you might not be aware of.
Your profile is filled with selfies
A study at the University of Toronto found that most of the time, we think other people like our selfies way more than they actually do. And perhaps even worse, some folks might find us to be narcissistic because of our selfie, and swipe right. “"Selfie-takers generally overperceived the positive attributes purveyed by their selfies," researchers explained. "Here, we found that selfie-takers believed their selfies to look more attractive and likable than photos of them taken by other people. In reality, though, external raters actually perceived the targets' selfies to look less attractive and less likable than the photos taken by others (as well as more narcissistic)." The moral of this story? Have a friend grab a quick photo of you instead of posing with your arms outstretched. Consider these 10 tricks to make yourself look better in photos.
You tear up on a date
It’s true that vulnerability is an important component of a healthy, happy relationship. But it’s also true that putting all of your emotions on the table before your date even knows your middle name can be a major turn-off. Noam Sobel, PhD, of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel conducted an interesting study to figure out how men respond to tears. Basically, they collected tears from folks while they watched sad movies and put them onto pads into jars. They then put the pads under men’s noses, and apparently, the ‘smell of tears’ affected their sexual desire. Avoid saying these words on a first date too: Experts agree they’re pretty much off-limits.
You wear too much makeup
You probably don’t wear makeup to impress your date as much to impress yourself and feel confident. But a study found that men prefer less makeup than a full face of lip liner, mascara, and eyeshadow. Conducted by Alex Jones at Bangor University and Robin Kramer at Aberdeen University, this study asked men and women to rate attractiveness of varying female faces. While women preferred more makeup, men were more into fresh-faced, subtle looks. To be exact: men liked 60 percent less makeup on a woman than what a woman thought was attractive. We say it’s up to you on how you want to dress or what you want to put on your skin before heading to a date, but an interesting finding, nonetheless. These makeup mistakes can make you look sloppy.
You wear too much perfume or cologne
In two separate studies—one conducted by Glamour magazine and the other by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago—both men and women reported being turned off by an extreme amount of perfume or cologne. (In fact, the abundance of too much body spray on a dude actually decreased vaginal blood flow!) As primates, we’re more attracted to the natural scent of a person, as opposed to a manufactured one. It’s just instinct! Here’s more about how aromatherapy affects your mood.
You’re just too nice
Sorry, nice guys. For men, coming across as too nice, too soon, can be a turn-off. A study conducted at the University of British Columbia concluded that women are more attracted to the stereotypically “bad boy” over the “nice guy.” (The study had women rate faces of people and make conclusions on if they were good, bad, ugly, or attractive.) But there’s a big difference between being nice and being boring or a pushover. Here are effortless ways to be more kind without looking like a dweeb.