It’s hard to say exactly why you like someone. Maybe it’s their goofy smile; maybe it’s their razor-sharp wit; or maybe it’s simply that they’re easy to be around.

But scientists generally aren’t satisfied with answers like that, and they’ve spent years trying to pinpoint the exact factors that draw one person to another. Here are some of their most intriguing findings.

1. Copy the person you’re with

This strategy is called mirroring, and involves subtly mimicking another person’s behavior. When talking to someone, try copying their body language, gestures and facial expressions.

In 1999, New York University researchers documented the “chameleon effect,” which occurs when people unconsciously mimic each other’s behavior. That mimicry facilitates liking.

Researchers had 72 men and women work on a task with a partner. The partners (who worked for the researchers) either mimicked the other participant’s behavior or didn’t, while researchers videotaped the interactions. At the end of the interaction, the researchers had participants indicate how much they liked their partners.

Sure enough, participants were more likely to say that they liked their partner when their partner had been mimicking their behavior.

2. Compliment other people

People will associate the adjectives you use to describe other people with your personality. This phenomenon is called spontaneous trait transference.

If you describe someone else as genuine and kind, people will also associate you with those qualities. The reverse is also true: If you are constantly trashing people behind their backs, your friends will start to associate the negative qualities with you as well.

3. Reveal your flaws from time to time

According to the pratfall effect, people will like you more after you make a mistake — but only if they believe you are a competent person. Revealing that you aren’t perfect makes you more relatable and vulnerable to the people around you.

4. Display a sense of humor

Research from Illinois State University and California State University at Los Angeles found that, regardless of whether people were thinking about their ideal friend or romantic partner, a sense of humor was really important.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【傻乎乎的】shǎhūhū de goofy silly, ridiculous

【出丑】chūchǒu pratfall a humiliating mishap or blunder

有时候，我们很难讲清为什么会喜欢某个人。

也许是因为他们憨厚可人的笑容；也许是因为他们的聪慧机敏；也许仅仅只是因为他们很好相处。

但是科学家们并不满足于这个答案，于是他们花费了数年来研究到底是哪些因素将人与人联系在了一起。下面是一些有趣的发现。

•模仿对方

这一方法被称为镜像模仿，也就是模仿对方的行为。在你与他人交谈的过程中，试着模仿他们的肢体语言、小动作和表情。

1999年，纽约大学的研究员就曾证明过 “变色龙效应”——当双方下意识地模仿对方的行为时，会增加相互间的好感。

研究人员让72位男女分别与一位搭档组成一组，合作完成任务。搭档则在研究员的要求下选择模仿或者不模仿参与者的动作。与此同时，研究员用录像机记录整个过程。在互动结束后，参与者被要求表示出对搭档的喜爱程度。

果然，当搭档模仿参与者动作时，更容易获得参与者的好感。

•称赞他人

在谈话中，人们往往会将对方描述别人的词语与对方的个人品质联系在一起。这一现象被称为“自发特质移情”。

如果你把另一个人描述为真诚和善良，对方也会认为你是真诚和善良的。反之亦然：如果你总与你的朋友在背后说别人的坏话，你的朋友会认为你也具有相同的特征。

•偶尔暴露自己的缺点

根据“仰巴脚效应”，对于优秀的人来说，一些微小的失误会增加别人对他们的好感，因为展示出不完美的一面会让他们与别人更加亲近。

•展现幽默感

伊利诺伊州立大学和加利福尼亚州立大学的研究员发现，人们心中的理想朋友或伴侣都普遍具有一个重要特质，那就是幽默。(Chinadaily.com.cn)