Photo: © 2009 AP/Chuck Burton

UK psychologist Dr Peter Lovatt's study looked into the styles, co-ordination and confidence levels of people when they hit the dancefloor.

He discovered that dad dancing sends a message to women – and it's probably not the one they were intending.

"The message their dancing sends out is 'Stay away, I'm not fertile'," Dr Lovatt told London's Telegraph paper.

The research showed that women could read a man's testosterone level by his dancing style and energy levels, and therefore dad dancing may be a warning to women of childbearing age to keep looking.

The research also found that all age groups rated themselves as above average dancers, except for teen boys, who rated themselves as average.