You know the look.
Across the room. Over a glass of wine.
A quick flick of the eyes that lasts half a second too long.
Most men dismiss it.
“She’s just being friendly.”
But according to psychologists, that glance might carry more meaning than you think.
A study from the University of Chicago found that eye contact lasting more than 3 seconds can trigger activity in the brain’s reward center, releasing dopamine — the very same chemical linked to attraction and desire.
In other words, our brains are wired to read meaning into the gaze.
And women? They’ve mastered this art.
Dr. Monica Moore, a psychologist at Webster University, discovered through observing over 200 women in social settings that subtle glances — brief eye contact followed by looking away — are one of the most reliable signs of hidden attraction.
In her study, women who gave these looks were three times more likely to be approached or approached someone themselves.
Here’s the kicker:
Women over 50, in particular, tend to communicate attraction with subtlety rather than words.
It’s not about being shy — it’s about experience.
She knows a single glance can carry the weight of a whole conversation.
Think about it: when someone holds your gaze a little longer than necessary, your heart rate jumps. That’s biology at work.
Harvard Medical School research shows that extended eye contact stimulates the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotional responses.
Translation? That “harmless” look can light up every attraction circuit in your body.
So next time you catch her looking, don’t dismiss it.
The slight lift of her brow.
The way her eyes linger before darting away.
The half-smile she hides behind her glass.
It might be more than a glance.
It could be an invitation.