Fireman uniforms, bust size, dogs and flowers: for science

May 17, 2013 4:42 PM

Nicolas Guéguen is a researcher in human behaviour who runs curious and somehow whimsical experiments. With the help of a small army of "confederates", he studies the effects of various stimuli, including dogs, smiles, fireman uniforms, bust size (inflatable), hair color, music, flowers, figurines, touching, mirrors, names etc. on the courtship, sexual, helping, chivalrous, tipping, buying, hiring, compliance or eating behaviour of unsuspecting victims. Because not all experiments are successful, he has also published one failure in the Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis. Selected papers are listed below the fold.

Courtship
“Say it With Flowers”: Effect of flowers in a room on female’s receptivity of a male’s courtship request
“Love is in the air”: Effects of Songs With Romantic Lyrics on Compliance to a Courtship Request
The effect of apparel on courtship request: A field study on the sex-appeal of a fireman
Menstrual Cycle Phases and Female Receptivity to a Courtship Solicitation: An Evaluation in a Night-Club
Mimicry and Women Attractiveness: An Evaluation in a Courtship Context
The effect of a woman’s smile on men’s courtship behavior
Domestic dog as facilitators in social interaction: An evaluation of helping and courtship behaviors
Bust size and men’s courtship behavior: A field experiment.
The effect of a man’s touch on woman’s compliance to a request in a courtship context

Sexual attractiveness (and hitchhiking)
Women’s Hair Color and Hitchhiking: Gentlemen Drivers Prefer Blonds
Bust size and hitchhiking
The Effect of hitchhikers' smile
Effects of Solicitor Sex and Attractiveness on Receptivity to Sexual Offers: A Field Study
The effect of women’s suggestive clothing on men’s behavior and judgment: a field study
Enhanced female attractiveness with use of cosmetics and male tipping behavior in restaurants
The effect of a woman’s incidental tactile contact on men’s later behavior

Surnames
Are people with high attractive patronymics more employable? An Evaluation in a Field Setting
Mr Lemaître is a good teacher: An experimental study of a personological inference activated by a surname
Mister “Py” Is Probably a Good Mathematician: An Experimental Study of the Subjective Attractiveness of Family Names

Helping behaviour
The effect of the word “love” on compliance to a humanitarian aid request
What is in a name? An effect of similarity in computer-mediated communication
Apparel appearance and helping behavior: A comparison of military versus civilian effects
Valentine street promotes chivalrous helping
Induced reminiscence of love and chilvarious helping

posted by elgilito (6 comments total)

This is very amusing - he's carrying out the kind of research I would if I were a scientist. Thanks for posting.
posted by misterbee at 6:21 PM on May 17, 2013

I find it hilarious, unsurprising, and depressing that there was a linear relationship between female bust size and the fraction of male drivers who stopped for a hitchhiker but no relationship for female drivers. How can something be hilarious and depressing at the same time?
posted by Justinian at 6:25 PM on May 17, 2013

How can something be hilarious and depressing at the same time?

I refer you to all of human history.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 7:35 PM on May 17, 2013 [11 favorites]

It utterly delights me so much to discover that the Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis exists. Every branch of science should have a publication like this.
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 8:21 PM on May 17, 2013 [5 favorites]

Reads all and immediately signs-up with OK-Cupid. Seiously, that flowers one? I am on my way to the florist now...
posted by marienbad at 5:08 AM on May 18, 2013

Clearly I got the order wrong when I first met the woman who would become my wife and then went to fire academy.
posted by itstheclamsname at 7:31 PM on May 18, 2013