Smiling men study: Do women prefer bad boys?

In the first stage of the study, participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of the same person of the opposite sex shown with one of four different facial expressions. (Jessica Tracy/University of British Columbia)

Gentleman, it might be time to update your online dating profile pictures. Women find smiling men less attractive than those with brooding expressions, according to a new Canadian study.  

In addition to confirming male fears about women falling for "bad boy" types, the Canadian research suggests that men find women more attractive when they smile, and less so when they appear proud and confident.

The study, published online Tuesday in the journal Emotion, involved 1,084 heterosexual men and women, and gauged their initial, gut reactions to photographs of members of the opposite sex.
 
"Generally, the results appear to reflect some very traditional gender norms and cultural values that have emerged, developed and been reinforced through history, at least in Western cultures," said Jessica Tracy, a sociologist at Vancouver's University of British Columbia. Tracy co-authored the study with psychology graduate student Alex Beall.

Share your thoughts on the study results: Do they surprise you, or confirm what you already suspected? When first looking at a photo of someone, which pose is most attractive to you?  Let us know in the comments below.

(This survey is not scientific. It is based on readers' responses.)