New York, Nov 9 (TIWN): When people become interested in a potential sexual partner, they do their best to get that person interested in them, and this process may not be entirely conscious.

When we are interested in someone, we "play nice" and are particularly attentive towards that person. But how does having sex on our minds influence how we present ourselves to a potential partner?

We will paint ourselves in the best light possible, of course, but does this mean that we tend to throw in the odd lie?

According to a new study from the University of Rochester in New York and the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Israel, the answer is "yes."

The researchers who led this study — Profs Gurit Birnbaum and Harry Reis — say that we tend to be a little less honest about ourselves when we have sex on our minds, in a bid to create the best possible image when interacting with potential partners.