Have you ever experienced the kind of love that they show in films, that you look at someone for the first time and they make you go weak in the knees? Many people believe that ‘Love at first sight’ is real and exists but according to a recent study, it is mostly infatuation and initial attraction only.
In a study published in the Journal of International Association for Relationship Research, the researchers analysed around 500 dating encounters of 200 participants, who were in their mid-twenties.
The three phases of the study were – an online survey, a laboratory study and three dating encounters which lasted not over 90 minutes. The participants were asked about their perception of love at first sight (LAFS) and whether they were physically attracted to their dates. The researchers analysed the measures of passion, intimacy and commitment that help to determine the quality of a relationship.
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As per the statistics, LAFS was experienced 49 times by 32 participants and the key love components, especially intimacy and commitment, were missing in these romantic pairings. However, these participants witnessed high levels of physical attraction.
The study constituted over 60 per cent of women, but a majority of LAFS instances were reported by men. Also, in a major twist, “none of the instances of LAFS was reciprocal”. The research concluded that the idea of ‘Love at first sight’ was just an initial attraction or lust in most cases.