Want to trigger a woman's sex drive? Touch her arm, give her a hug or make prolonged eye contact: those are the lessons of a new study released recently by Rockefeller University in New York.

Researchers genetically modified mice so that the neurons needed to receive oxytocin, a chemical used as part of our brains’ reward mechanism, were switched off. The scientists found that after altering the neurons, female mice showed no sexual interest in male mice, giving them as much attention as a “block of Lego.”

So why is that important? Well, it isolates oxytocin as being a massive part of what dictates a woman's sex drive. Oxytocin in humans is believed to work in the same way as  it does in mice, and is released when people touch, hug, or even when they experience prolonged eye contact. Zak Paul, a world expert in oxytocin, says that the effects of a single hug last for as much as an hour.

It comes down to trust. When it comes to passing genes on to offspring, a male’s only priority, maybe unsurprisingly, is to reproduce with as many females as possible. Conception is a costly process for women and so they will want to have the best possible males to mate with. Oxytocin plays a huge role in determining social trust, which is why it's so important

We've known a lot about oxytocin — and for a while. In previous studies, scientists have been able to observe the release of oxytocin during orgasm, and see skyrocketing levels in couples who say they are in love. One study in particular had 29 couple given either an oxytocin nasal spray or placebo spray before sex. Men who took the oxytocin reported experiencing more intense orgasms, while women said that they found it easier to express their sexual desires to their partners.

So what's the upshot? Touch a woman's arm, give her a hug or make long eye contact with her if you want to increase your chances of turning her on. Show her your trustworthy, and perhaps caring side, and prove that nice guys can sometimes finish first.