Looking For Love: Predictors of Attraction in a Speed Dating Study

Abstract

After a romantic first date with a new potential partner, many people find themselves wondering if their date was attracted to them, or whether there will be a second date. I investigated predictors of attraction between heterosexual pairs (N = 41) in a speed dating study. I hypothesized that attachment insecurity would negatively predict partner attraction, and self-disclosure would positively predict partner attraction. Analyses controlling for men’s physical appearance (rated by RAs) indicated that men’s disclosure positively predicted women’s attraction, suggesting that women’s attraction may be driven by feelings of intimacy fostered by disclosure. Controlling for women’s physical appearance, women’s attachment anxiety positively predicted men’s attraction. This surprising result suggests that women higher on attachment anxiety may have engaged in behaviours that may be desirable to men during first dates. Self-disclosure and attachment insecurity appear to have important roles in initial attraction development.