“How you doin’?”
According to science, it turns out that being more of a Chandler than a Joey will get you further in the dating scene.
A new study published by Evolutionary Psychology surveyed 1,000 volunteers from Norway and the United States. Participants ranked the effectiveness of 40 different types of flirting based on if they were looking for a long-term or short-term relationship.
Scientists controlled religion, age, extroversion, how willing the person was to have a relationship and how attractive a person seems in the dating market.
“What’s most effective depends on your gender and whether the purpose of the flirtation is a long-term or short-term relationship,” says Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, a professor at NTNU’s Department of Psychology.
“People consider signals that you’re sexually available to be the most effective for women who are looking for a short-term relationship,” Kennair says.
Added professor and colleague Mons Bendixen, “Signs of generosity and a willingness to commit works best for men who are looking for a long-term relationship.”
But the quality that works for everyone is humor.
“People think that humor, or being able to make another person laugh, is most effective for men who are looking for a long-term relationship. It’s least effective for women who are looking for a one-night stand. But laughing or giggling at the other person’s jokes is an effective flirtation tactic for both sexes,” says Kennair.
The study also notes the importance of smiling and eye contact to score a date.