Why a gaggle of girls make a chap desirable

WOMeN are more drawn to men who surround themselves with attractive women, a study shows.

Their presence gives a man a ‘halo effect’ which confirms he is suitable dating material, and they need look no further.

The effect – known as ‘mate choice copying’ in the animal kingdom – is so strong that in America so-called ‘wing women’ can be hired to enhance a man’s appeal in bars and at clubs.

The study, led by psychologist Dr Sarah Hill of Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, said: ‘Women find men more desirable when they appear to be desired by other women.

‘Women use the presence of a man’s mate as a cue to his own quality. Females observe a romantic or sexual interaction between a male and another female – a model female – and preferentially choose that male as a mate.’

The investigation asked two groups of women their opinion of how attractive they found a man. The first group, of 148 students, were asked to rate how attractive they found a man when he was paired with a sexual partner, or with a friend, family member or exgirlfriend. The participants found he was more desirable when with a sexual partner.

The second group, of 97 students, were shown pictures of a man alone or with a romantic partner and were asked to rate not only his desirability as a partner, but how intelligent, trustworthy, humorous, wealthy, romantic, adventurous, generous, and attentive they thought he was.

They rated him more highly when he was paired up rather than alone, but also attributed positive qualities to him. The research is published in the journal evolutionary Psychology.