Tall , dark , and handsome   are words often used to describe what some multitude   find a " turn on " when looking for someone they ’re attracted to . However , the word “ sapiosexual ” has also been trending for awhile in pop culture . The condition is used to describe   an attractive feature   to someone with a high level of tidings .

Now , a   new bailiwick in the journalIntelligencesupports the   belief that people can be   sexually excite by the intellect of someone else .

The study was led by Gilles Gignac , a fourth-year lecturer from the University of Western Australia , and included 383students . They all take a study that include questions such as whether or not they saw high tidings as a trait that turned them on . To avail rate what was important to them , the questionnaire also included   other questions about intelligence and qualities they look for in a love stake .

“ We find that sapiosexuality can be measured psychometrically and that between 1 percentage and 8 percent of relatively vernal people ( 18 to 35 ) may be sapiosexuals , " shared Gignac toPsyPost .   " However , interestingly , how intelligent a individual is ( measured with an actual IQ test ) does not come out to predict the degree to which mass discover themselves as a sapiosexual . "

Other traits people looked for in a relationship included having an exciting personality and someone with an   easy - going personality . Top on the lean was   someone who is   kind and savvy . Intelligence took   the 2d spot .

While participant were drawn to individuals   with   an extremely gamy IQ level ,   those who are   more intelligent than 99 pct of people were seen as slightly less desirable . The odorous patch , it seems , is a tier of intelligence around   the 90th percentile .

The poll also included questions that contact on how exciting it would be to have an “ intellectually stimulate ” conversation and whether or not heed to someone talk intelligently aroused them .

The team noted that it   is n’t uncommon for people to see intelligence as a confident trait due to what comes along with it , such as chore opportunity and better decision - making .

A restriction of   this study , harmonise to Gignac , was that “ the sketch did not admit hoi polloi with below - fair levels of intelligence ( i.e. , IQ < 100 ) . ”