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 Three minutes may be more time than necessary to decide who would be an interesting romantic partner. According to an upcoming article in Evolution and Human Behavior, the first few seconds of meeting someone may determine our heart's desire.
Psychologists from the University of Pennsylvania, studied dating data from over 10,000 anonymous participants in HurryDate - a company that organizes 'speed dating' sessions. At each HurryDate party, approximately 25 men and 25 women interact with each other for three minutes at a time. At the end of the session, each participant indicates which of the people he or she met would be of interest for the future. HurryDate also collects survey data from participants, including age, height, education, income, drinking behavior, smoking behavior, race and religion. As part of this study, HurryDate also collected answers to optional questions about such things as how participants rate their own attractiveness and sexuality.
It is often assumed that interest in relationships is based on a complex interaction of the various qualities that a potential mate has to offer - including salient issues such as power and money. The data from this study suggests that many of the issues that are believed to be important do not seem to carry much weight in the intricate complexities of attraction.
The researchers caution that speed dating is not necessarily typical of how people usually interact. Their findings might or might not characterize long-term dating relationships.
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The Lessons Of Love - Psych Today Article
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