We humans are an incredibly impressive species. Because we instinctively recognize strangers in relationships, as a new study found.
We can smell it.
No, of course that is not true. Of course, we don't know from a person's smell whether he or she is indulging in one or the other affair (unless a strange perfume on the collar gives it away in a clichéd manner).
But we actually have this nose for whether a person is prone to cheating in relationships. Because that is exactly what has been proven by a scientific study. To this end, psychologists from the University of Brigham asked around 1,500 test subjects to watch a three to five minute video and rate how they assessed the relationship to loyalty between the couples shown.
In the videos, people explained to their partners how blindfolded they could complete a drawing. Before that, the couples shown had separately answered questions about affairs and one night stands during their relationship.
The astonishing result: The test persons were able to say with absolute accuracy which of the people shown tended to flirt with only the short clips, which were completely taken out of the love context.
Study leader Nathaniel Lambert: "We are incredibly impressed by the result. After just a few minutes of observing the interaction between two completely strangers to them, the test subjects were able to judge their love and judge who cheats and who doesn't."
Unfortunately, however, the test subjects were unable to justify precisely what they attached to the cheaters. The most common statement was only: "It was such a feeling …"
