A study done by researchers from the Department of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem evaluated how the first date, when successful, can evolve into a mutual romantic interest and, consequently, into a relationship. The findings were published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.
The analysis focused on how the physiology and behavior of a heterosexual couple adjust during their first date.
The research was based on a fast dating experiment with 46 dates. Each encounter lasted five minutes, during which each partner’s physiological regulation levels were monitored via a wristband.
The synchronization of activity in the sympathetic nervous system during human interaction may reflect a social effect on the regulation of arousal and affect.
As the encounters took place, the behavioral actions of each partner — such as nodding, moving an arm or moving a leg — were also analyzed by the researchers.
After each date, participants rated the date on three measures on a scale of one to five: romantic interest in partner, sexual attraction to partner, and partner’s physical appearance.
The result of the research showed that couples are romantically attracted to each other when they synchronize their physiology with each other and adjust their behavioral movements to that of their partner throughout the encounter.
Shir Atzil, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said in a statement that “connecting with a partner depends on how well we can synchronize our bodies. We specialize in studying the parent-infant bond—and we’ve seen it before.”
The analysis also showed that the degree of synchrony affected men and women differently. While for both sexes synchrony predicted attraction, women were more sexually attracted to men who showed a high level of synchrony.
The researcher says the finding demonstrates that behavioral and physiological synchrony can be a useful mechanism for attracting a romantic partner. However, it is not yet known whether synchrony increases attraction or the feeling of attraction generates the motivation to connect with the partner.
Source: CNN Brasil
