What to Talk About on First Dates According to Research
Chatting with a stranger can be uncomfortable in any situation . On a first date, when there is potential for romance, it can be especially awkward to strike up a conversation. According to research, this video suggests things to talk about on a first date.
Citing research from various studies, the Business Insider video explains what you should (and shouldn’t) talk about on your first date to increase your likelihood of a second. For example, they come from a 1997 study by researcher Arthur Aron, published in the Bulletin of Personality Psychology . Aaron gave subjects a list of 36 questions to ask each other, and these questions were designed to “create intimacy.” Essentially, Aron wanted to see if complete strangers could become friends or even romantic partners faster by sharing secrets and personal information with each other. The study reports:
In the three studies presented here … the mean was around 4 for each question. This suggests that the subjects rated their relationships with their partners for less than an hour as being as close as average, and their lives and the lives of others … many subjects subsequently maintained relationships with their partners.
Of course, this is just one study, and there are many caveats to the results, but as you can see from the video, sharing secrets or other personal information can help make your first date more fun.
Additionally, research by author and professor Dan Ariely suggests that controversial topics improve first-date communication. Talking about her own research, Arieli concludes :
Our dates had to choose questions from a list to ask another date, and could not ask anything else. They were forced to take the risk of asking questions that are considered out of the ordinary. And their partners responded by creating much more lively conversations than we saw when dating asked their own question … when people are free to choose what type of discussion they want to have, they often gravitate towards a balance that is easy to maintain. but one that nobody really likes and from which nobody benefits. The good news is that if we limit the balance, we can make people tend to behave in a way that is best for everyone.
In other words, controversial topics help you get to know each other better because you are more likely to share your personal views, opinions, and possibly experiences.
The video offers some more tips and suggestions, so you’ll want to check it out above or at the link below.
What You Should Talk About on Your First Date, According to Research | Business Insider