Leon
05-06-2006, 08:01 AM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=383054&in_page_id=1879 (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=383054&in_page_id=1879)
Speed-dating is meant to be fast - but few men realise just how little time they have to impress a potential partner.
Women often make up their mind about a potential boyfriend in less than 30 seconds, researchers have found.
So while he may be thinking he has at least a few minutes in which to wow her, she has already written him off as a hopeless case only moments after he sat down.
The study also reveals that women are choosier than men, and will typically turn down twice as many would-be suitors. The researchers said that because men have so little time to make a good impression, they should choose their opening line with care.
The most successful in the study were "What is your favourite pizza topping?" and "Who would you be on Stars In Their Eyes?" because they made people laugh and allowed them to open up in a lighthearted way.
The worst opening line used during the study was: "I have got a PhD in computing."
The findings came out of the first large-scale speed-dating experiment involving 100 single men and women aged 25 to 45 and from all walks of life. Each one met ten potential partners for three minutes each. Afterwards they were asked to rate them and say which ones they would like to meet again.
It emerged that almost half of the women made up their minds about the men in under 30 seconds, compared to 22 per cent of men.
Overall, most men said they had found four people they would like to see again. But women found only two, rejecting the other eight potential suitors out of hand.
Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, who conducted the experiment, said: "The fact that women made up their mind so quickly was very interesting. They were definitely pickier on the night, being up for far fewer dates and made their decisions faster.
"Men are often accused of being shallow and judging women very quickly. However, this suggests that women may make up their minds much quicker than men."
The study found that women look for a mental connection or an 'instant click' when choosing a partner, while men rate appearance the most important factor.
Some tried and trusted topics, such as favourite films or books, did not go down too well, because men and women often had very different tastes. Just under 50 per cent of men said they liked action films, compared with 18 per cent of women, and while 29 per cent of women enjoyed musicals, this was true of only 4 per cent of men.
A more successful conversation topic was travel and dream holidays, which allowed people to shine and show themselves in their best light. The study participants were recruited in the run-up to the Edinburgh Science Festival, where the experiment was conducted last Sunday. More than 70 follow-up dates have been arranged from the experiment and Professor Wiseman plans to see if any of those who took part do find love.
Speed-dating is meant to be fast - but few men realise just how little time they have to impress a potential partner.
Women often make up their mind about a potential boyfriend in less than 30 seconds, researchers have found.
So while he may be thinking he has at least a few minutes in which to wow her, she has already written him off as a hopeless case only moments after he sat down.
The study also reveals that women are choosier than men, and will typically turn down twice as many would-be suitors. The researchers said that because men have so little time to make a good impression, they should choose their opening line with care.
The most successful in the study were "What is your favourite pizza topping?" and "Who would you be on Stars In Their Eyes?" because they made people laugh and allowed them to open up in a lighthearted way.
The worst opening line used during the study was: "I have got a PhD in computing."
The findings came out of the first large-scale speed-dating experiment involving 100 single men and women aged 25 to 45 and from all walks of life. Each one met ten potential partners for three minutes each. Afterwards they were asked to rate them and say which ones they would like to meet again.
It emerged that almost half of the women made up their minds about the men in under 30 seconds, compared to 22 per cent of men.
Overall, most men said they had found four people they would like to see again. But women found only two, rejecting the other eight potential suitors out of hand.
Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, who conducted the experiment, said: "The fact that women made up their mind so quickly was very interesting. They were definitely pickier on the night, being up for far fewer dates and made their decisions faster.
"Men are often accused of being shallow and judging women very quickly. However, this suggests that women may make up their minds much quicker than men."
The study found that women look for a mental connection or an 'instant click' when choosing a partner, while men rate appearance the most important factor.
Some tried and trusted topics, such as favourite films or books, did not go down too well, because men and women often had very different tastes. Just under 50 per cent of men said they liked action films, compared with 18 per cent of women, and while 29 per cent of women enjoyed musicals, this was true of only 4 per cent of men.
A more successful conversation topic was travel and dream holidays, which allowed people to shine and show themselves in their best light. The study participants were recruited in the run-up to the Edinburgh Science Festival, where the experiment was conducted last Sunday. More than 70 follow-up dates have been arranged from the experiment and Professor Wiseman plans to see if any of those who took part do find love.