Intelligence was rated the second most attractive trait in a person.

The most attractive IQ for people is 120, new research finds.

An IQ of 120 means that a person is more intelligent than 90% of the population.

A higher intelligence than 120, though, started to become less attractive, the researchers also found.

In ranking the most attractive traits overall, intelligence came behind being kind and understanding and ahead of having an exciting personality and being easy-going.

The results come from a survey of 383 people aged 18 to 35 who were asked what traits they valued in a romantic partner.

Sapiosexuals

For almost one-in-ten people, the researchers found, high intelligence was particularly arousing.

They found it a more attractive trait than looks and personality combined, new research finds.

‘Sapiosexuals’, as they are known, are as likely to be men as women and are very turned on by high IQs.

They were more likely to endorse statements such as:

“Listening to someone speak very intelligently arouses me sexually.”

…and:

“It would excite me sexually to have an intellectually stimulating conversation with a potential partner.”

Dr Gilles Gignac, the study’s first author, said:

“The emergence of the popular culture notion of a sapiosexual, an individual who finds high levels of intelligence (IQ) the most sexually attractive characteristic in a person, suggests that a high IQ may be a genuinely sexually attractive trait, at least for some people.”

The study was published in the journal Intelligence (Gignac et al., 2018).