It’s a dilemma faced by singletons around the world.
Does someone actually fancy you, or are they just being polite?
Now, scientists have revealed an easy way to find out – simply look closely at their eyes.
According to Amanda Meyer and Monika Zimanyi, experts in anatomy at James Cook University, if someone is sexually aroused, their pupils will grow larger.
‘In every other romance novel, enlarged pupils are commonly enlisted as imagery to indicate sexual arousal,’ the pair explained in an article for The Conversation.
‘And it’s not unusual to read advice online suggesting dilated pupils are a sure sign someone you like also likes you back.
‘But what does the science say?
‘In fact, it’s true: our pupils really do tend to grow large when we’re aroused.’
It’s a dilemma faced by singletons around the world. Does someone actually fancy you, or are they just being polite? Now, scientists have revealed an easy way to find out – simply look closely at their eyes (stock image)
The pupil is the black hole at the centre of the eye, which expands and contracts to let light reach the retina.
‘The muscle around the edge of the pupil acts like a sphincter,’ the experts explained.
‘When stimulated by the parasympathetic nervous system (sometimes known as the “rest and digest” system), it contracts to close down the pupil.
‘On the outside of the sphincter, another muscle acts like the springs holding the trampoline mat.
‘When stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” system), it shortens to enlarge the pupil.’
Your pupils usually dilate in response to six triggers, dubbed the ‘six fs’.
These are: fight, flee, feed, fornicate, get a ‘fix’ (of illicit drugs), or focus.
However, how your pupils respond to someone you fancy will depend on your gender.
According to Amanda Meyer and Monika Zimanyi, experts in anatomy at James Cook University, if someone is sexually aroused, their pupils will grow larger (stock image)
The researchers cite a 2021 study, which found that men’s pupils dilate strictly according to their sexual preferences, while women’s pupils dilate more variably.
For example, in response to erotic images of women, heterosexual men’s pupils get bigger, while homosexual men’s eyes respond to erotic images of men.
However, women are more complicated.
‘Lesbian women’s pupils also dilated more in response to erotic imagery of men, and heterosexual women’s pupils dilated for erotic imagery of men and women,’ the experts added.
According to the pair, what might be more important than your date’s pupils dilating is how your eyes act in response.
‘Pupil dilation synchrony between people has been linked to better teamwork and mutual attraction, reflecting shared arousal states,’ they explained.
‘This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as “pupil mimicry” or “pupil contagion”, aligns with other autonomic synchronisations such as heart rate.
‘It all goes to show that so much of connection and attraction is subconscious.’
However, the researchers emphasise that the context of the encounter is crucial to consider before you jump to any conclusions.
They added: ‘It is crucial to emphasise pupil dilation doesn’t automatically mean someone is aroused.
‘Anticipation of rewards, emotional conflict, and processing of emotionally charged stimuli – such as scary movies or certain trigger sounds – also lead to increased pupil size.’
