Known sometimes as a wingman or wingwoman, the term originates from fighter jet pilots,

where the wingman's job is to support and protect the leading pilot. This same dynamic

is applied when a friend needs support approaching potential partners. But what's the science

behind this strategy - and do wingmen actually work?

First things first - you look better in a group than you do on your own. One study had

participants evaluate pictures of 300 people and found that faces were significantly more

attractive when they were shown in a group photo compared to the same faces shown on

their own. Another good tactic a squad can use is that of a wild turkey. Wild Turkeys

attract mates in a “coalition” where one turkey is “dominant” and the other turkeys

are “helpers”. These helper turkeys wear less colourful plumage - making the dominant

one look like a better catch. And this strategy almost doubles the reproductive success compared

to those turkeys who ride solo.

Even male fireflies work together to attract ladies! Fireflies use bioluminescent flashes

to signal a mate. And when male fireflies synchronize their flashes, females responded

82% of the time, compared to 3% of the time with asynchronous flashes. So maybe it’s

time for your squad to think of a co-ordinated dance?

Especially if you’re the wingman to a lance-tailed manakin. Males of this species team up in

pairs, performing intricate dances - including leaping over one another. But within the group

there is an alpha and a beta - and the beta never gets lucky. So why be a wingman? A study

that tracked and analyzed DNA of 457 birds found that beta birds, after learning from

the Alpha’s, had a better chance of becoming an alpha the following year.

These strategies are often used among males - but what about females? Across cultures,

human women tend to be more selective or choosy than men when it comes to partnerships though

significant variation does exist among sexes. After all, females expend more resources in

pregnancy, making it important that they choose a partner more selectively. When asked to

describe their courtship strategies, interestingly, women were actually more likely to use cooperative

techniques than men, but these techniques were used to avoid partners where there was

no romantic interest. Again this certainly varies from person to person, and these studies

also only focused on heterosexual behaviour.

How far will the squad go for you? Are they willing to lie? It turns out the closer relationship

you have with someone the more likely you are to lie to make them look good. This is

why going out with your best friends to the bar can help boost your image.

Looking for love or a fling while in the company of friends is fun and often effective, but just

remember that finding romance doesn’t need to be a strategic game where you have to “trick”

someone - if you just be yourself you are more likely to find someone who likes you

for you.

Special thanks to audible for supporting this episode and giving you a free 30 day trial at

audible.com/asap. This week we wanted to recommend the book “The Invention of Nature”’

by Andrea Wulf, which is a fascinating investigation of the relationship between environments around

the world and their connectedness with humanity! You can get a free 30 day trial at audible.com/asap

and choose from a massive selection! We love them as they're great when you’re on the

go.

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