Our 5 Fave Findings from the 6th Annual Singles In America Study

For the 6^th year in a row, Match funded the most comprehensive national study of American singles, the Singles In America study, on the attitudes and behaviors of 5,504 U.S. singles between the ages of 18 to 70+.

 

Last Saturday, they invited us to tune into the livestream held at The Rickey at Dream Midtown to watch Dr. Helen Fisher and RHONY’s Carole Radziwill dish about all of the fun findings. We ordered sushi and excitedly tuned in.

Politics of Dating

First up, politics. Thanks for being an election year, 2016! Our favorite finding was that on a first date, 1104% of Trump supporters are more likely to want sex, and 2133% of Hillary supporters are more likely to expect no physical contact. A friend at our watch party elaborated, “for someone that’s a Hillary person, I could see them being more reserved (#PantsSuit) and see a Trump supporter, perhaps more outrageous, wanting to sleep with someone on a first date.” Note that this stat doesn’t necessarily mean that they do – but the physical desire is there.

Btw, politics used to be thought of as a taboo topic on a date or at a party—not so this year. In fact, a good discussion on any political issue can boost your chances of a second date by 91%. And that leads us to our second nugget: the coveted second date.

The Second Date

Lucky for us, this year they did something new: they studied the second date!

Focus on first dates has far overshadowed the scientific study of second dates, yet a repeat rendezvous is a much more crucial step toward a long-term partnership. So how did couples wind up on date numero dos? Ordering a cocktail (not wine or beer) on a first date increases your chances of a second date by 137%.

Further, sharing food on date one is another indicator of making it to a second meeting. In fact, ordering sushi on a first date boosts your chances of a second date by 170%. Dr. Fisher and Carole remarked that since first dates can be kind of awk, the sushi date, with the edamame and multiple courses, helps to keep the momentum of the evening going. Alternatively, a friend at our party commented, “I prefer not to eat. I can drink all night long but when I am nervous I don’t want to eat!” Just make sure you order a cocktail.

What About Britney and Kobe

You didn’t know that Brit just re-worked her Piece Of Me show? Or that Kobe is retiring? No sweat. Only 10% of women and 11% of men care if a date follows celebrity and pop culture and less than 20% of men and 23% of women care if a date knows about sports.

Lastly, the data show that the more you get to know someone, the more you like them #science so whether it’s your first date or 50th anniversary, curiosity about your partner can lead to a more affectionate bond.

Want more research? You can find the first date playbook and other stats from the 2015 study at SinglesInAmerica.com and watch Dr. Helen Fisher and RHONY’s Carole Radziwill on the replay of the livestream here.

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