Unlocking the Brain’s Secrets: How We Perceive Attractiveness

This excerpt from neuroscientist David Eagleman’s book Incognito delves into the hidden processes in our brains that influence how we perceive attractiveness—processes beyond our conscious awareness.

Why are people generally drawn to younger partners rather than older ones? Is being blonde truly more attractive? And why might someone we glimpse briefly appear more appealing than someone we observe closely? It may not surprise you to learn that our sense of beauty is deeply embedded in the brain’s neural architecture, designed to serve important biological functions.

Consider the most attractive person you know—someone well-built, captivating, and attention-grabbing. Our brains are wired to notice such individuals, and subtle facial and bodily cues often translate into greater popularity and career success.

Attractiveness isn’t some abstract ideal sung by poets; it emerges from specific signals processed by specialized neural circuits, much like a key fitting into a lock.

The traits we find beautiful primarily reflect indicators of reproductive fitness, shaped by hormonal changes during puberty.

Before puberty, boys and girls have similar facial features and body shapes. As girls reach sexual maturity, increased estrogen causes fuller lips and rounded figures; boys experience a surge in testosterone, leading to more prominent jaws, larger noses, stronger chins, and broader shoulders.

For women, plump lips, full hips, and a narrow waist send a clear message: high estrogen levels and fertility. For men, a strong jawline, facial hair, and broad chest convey masculinity and reproductive capability. Our brains are programmed to seek these signals because form reflects function.

These neural programs are remarkably consistent across individuals. Research shows men prefer women with waist-to-hip ratios between 0.67 and 0.82, associating these proportions not only with attractiveness but also with perceived health, happiness, and intelligence.

As women age, their body shapes tend to deviate from these ideal ratios—waists widen, lips thin, and breasts sag—signaling a decline in fertility. Even adolescents intuitively find younger women more attractive, as their neural circuits prioritize reproductive success. Conscious thought only registers a simple message: "She is attractive; pursue her!"

Hidden neural mechanisms assess more than fertility alone. Not all fertile women appear equally healthy. For instance, the stereotype of men preferring blondes may have a kernel of truth: lighter skin tones can reveal signs of illness more clearly, while darker complexions may mask such issues. Health cues influence attractiveness preferences.

Visual stimuli impact men more strongly than women, yet women are also drawn to traits signaling mature masculinity.

Interestingly, women’s preferences shift throughout their menstrual cycle. During ovulation, they tend to favor more masculine features, while at other times, softer male traits signaling nurturing qualities are preferred.

Although seduction strategies seem conscious, the underlying drives are rooted in unconscious brain functions. This explains why people invest in cosmetic procedures—facelifts, body contouring, implants, liposuction, and Botox—to align with the brain’s programmed ideals.

It’s unsurprising that we lack direct access to the mechanics of attraction. Visual information activates ancient neural modules governing behavior. For example, men rate women with dilated pupils as more attractive—an unconscious cue of sexual interest—without awareness of this bias.

In one study from Eagleman’s lab, participants briefly viewed photos of men and women and rated their attractiveness. When shown the same photos for longer, ratings dropped. In other words, fleeting glimpses make people appear more attractive than careful inspection.

This "fleeting glance effect" is stronger in men, likely because men rely more on visual cues. It aligns with everyday experience: a man spots a stunning woman in passing, only to realize upon closer look that she’s less remarkable. But why does the brain overestimate attractiveness in brief views?

The answer lies in evolutionary priorities. Mistakenly perceiving an unattractive person as attractive costs little—it’s easily corrected with a second look. But missing a genuinely attractive partner risks losing valuable genetic opportunities. So, the perceptual system errs on the side of optimism.

Our conscious mind only knows the surface: you were driving, caught sight of an incredible beauty, but have no insight into the neural machinery or evolutionary pressures shaping that impression.

Attractiveness is fluid, adapting to context.

Many female mammals signal fertility overtly—such as baboons whose bright pink rumps irresistibly attract males. Humans, however, don’t send such obvious signals.

Or do they? Women are perceived as most beautiful around ovulation, roughly ten days before menstruation starts. Both men and women rate women as more attractive during this fertile window. Subtle cues—perhaps skin tone lightening—communicate fertility levels.

These signals primarily activate unconscious male neural circuits in proximity, fulfilling their reproductive role. They may also inform other women, helping them assess competition.

Exact nature of these signals remains unclear, but the brain is finely tuned to detect them without conscious effort, triggering powerful, inexplicable desires.

These findings extend beyond labs. A recent New Mexico study analyzed tip earnings of strippers relative to their menstrual cycles.

At peak fertility, dancers earned an average of $68 per hour, compared to about $35 during menstruation, with a mid-cycle average of $52. Those on hormonal birth control showed no clear earnings peak, averaging $37 per hour—likely due to hormonal changes altering fertility signals and reducing male interest.

It’s important to recognize that beauty is rooted in neural structures.

We lack conscious access to these programs; only rigorous research can uncover them.

Our brains excel at detecting subtle differences. Imagine measuring eye distance, nose length, lip fullness, and chin shape of the most attractive person you know versus someone less so. Differences are minute, imperceptible to an alien or even a dog. Yet these tiny variations profoundly impact our perception.

For example, some find a woman in short shorts alluring but a man in the same attire unappealing, despite geometric similarity. Our brain’s finely tuned ability to discern such nuances drives mate selection below conscious awareness, letting us simply enjoy the thrill of attraction.

Attractiveness is just one of many topics Eagleman explores. He also examines brain injuries, deception, drugs, criminal justice, and artificial intelligence. Prepare to gain insights that will forever change how you view yourself, your actions, and the world around you.

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