Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Love Affairs

What transforms a first date into a long-term relationship?

When couples synchronize their physiology with one another and adapt their behavioral movements to their partner during the date, they are romantically attracted to one another. 

Photo by Justin Groep from Unsplash.com

Looking for a romantic relationship?  Then you’ll know how important that first date can be.  But when falling in love, what makes us attracted to some people, and not to others? 

This was the concern of a team of researchers led by Dr. Shir Atzil of the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Their output – “Bio-behavioral synchrony is a potential mechanism for mate selection in humans” – was published in Scientific Reports.

Here, the researchers looked at how a couple’s physiology and behavior adapt to each other during that first encounter. The study was based on a speed-date experiment consisting of 46 dates. Each date lasted five minutes during which the levels of physiological regulation of each partner were recorded with a band worn on the wrist. Behavioral movements, such as nodding, moving an arm, shifting a leg were also recorded in each partner during the date. After the encounter, the couple assessed the romantic interest and sexual attraction they felt for each other. 

The study showed that when couples synchronize their physiology with one another and adapt their behavioral movements to their partner during the date, they are romantically attracted to one another. 

Intriguingly, the study also showed that the degree of synchrony affected men and women differently.  Although for both genders synchrony predicted attraction, women were more sexually attracted to men who showed a high level of synchrony – “super-synchronizers”; these men were highly desirable to female partners.

This research, said Atzil, demonstrates that behavioral and physiological synchrony can be a useful mechanism to attract a romantic partner. “However, we still don’t know whether synchrony raises attraction or does the feeling of attraction generate the motivation to synchronize?” 

Advertisement
Advertisement

Like Us On Facebook

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Love Affairs

Being more honest in expressing a desired change predicted greater personal and relationship well-being for both partners, as well as greater partner motivation to...

Love Guides

There are a myriad of options available to keep everyone’s sexual health robust as well as pleasurable. It's important to understand these options, their...

Love Affairs

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are driving perceptions of polyamory for 40% of users, far surpassing traditional media like TV and film (10%).

Love Affairs

Nearly half (49%) of people who were polled (59% of the males and 37% of the females) said they had engaged in three-way sex,...

Advertisement