Editor’s Note: This is the second in a four-part series about the nature of attraction.

In a study done by the British Broadcasting Company, it takes between 90 seconds and four minutes to decide if we are attracted to someone else. Surprisingly, it’s not the words that are spoken between two people that decide the level of attraction, but the manner in which the two communicate.

“Body language is very important because it helps you pick up on certain things you can’t always say in words,” said Brian Cole, freshman in pre-business.

To break it down, attraction is based on three primary aspects of communication – 55 percent on body language, 38 percent on vocal tone and speech rate and 7 percent on the actual content of our words – according to the BBC.

By lowering his or her speaking pitch, a person appears more sincere, confident and ultimately, more attractive, according to Lillian Glass’ book, “Attracting Terrific People.”

“When I first met Kristin, it was really easy, smooth and conversation flowed. I didn’t feel nervous at all,” said Trey Mason , junior in management information systems, about his girlfriend Kristin Heise, junior in architecture.

Reaffirming gestures, eye contact and posture are also keys to establishing a good conversation.

“When she first held my hand, I never wanted to let go,” Mason said.

Along with these factors comes something called “motor mimicry,” as explained by Malcolm Gladwell in “The Tipping Point.”

In motor mimicry, two people fall into physical and acoustic harmony, matching speech patterns and vocal variety. Individuals then mimic the facial expressions of others. For example, when viewing a smile, people smile back, even if only in changes “so fleeting that they can only be captured with electronic sensors,” Gladwell wrote.

Normally, people imagine facial expressions as a sign of their own inner feelings. However, psychologists Elaine Hatfield and John Cacioppo note that by smiling back, people are doing more than just mimicking, and according to Gladwell’s book, they are experiencing the emotion psychologically as well. Therefore, people who smile more, whether intentionally or by nature, are more attractive because the people around them feel happier.

Further studies show simple actions, such as staring into one another’s eyes, can actually increase the depth of attraction.

“I first look at a girl’s eyes and then her smile,” said Shawn Mobley, freshman in health and human performance.

Professor Arthur Arun, a New York psychologist, performed an experiment in which he had two complete strangers reveal intimate details about their lives for an hour-and-a-half and then stare into each others’ eyes for four minutes.

The results were shocking: These seemingly perfect strangers reported feeling deeply attracted to their partners after only this brief encounter.

Two of his subjects even married following the experiment, according to the article “The Science of Flirting,” available at www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/love/flirting.shtml.

Clearly, it is not necessarily what we say, but our actions and manner of speaking that affect our attractiveness.