The Science Of Falling In Love

Looking for love and want to ensure it’s everlasting? Throw on the lab coat and get your test tube ready: it’s time to join us in the love lab.

- Emily Eklund Power

Seeking long-term love? The answer to your heart’s desires may be as easy as a calculated 1, 2, 3. While the wingwoman skills of your bestie and matchmaking skills of your mom may produce a few successes, your true destiny may actually be in the scientific research. So if you’re out of apple pie and ice-cream, and looking for the next best way to a man’s heart, it turns out the colour of your clothes (and even your name) has a greater effect on the success of a relationship than you realised. Cosmo has pulled together research from around the world to ensure your next date has more spunk than flunk (no pun intended).

CAREER

According to research published in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, a person’s career choice is a statistical indicator of their relationship potential. The most reliable relationships are those with an agricultural engineer, with less than 2% of their marriages failing, an optometrist (4%), podiatrist (6.8%) or dentist (7.75%). In contrast, dancers, choreographers and bartenders have a 40% chance of going through a separation or divorce.

First Impressions

First impressions are important, and time is of the essence. Research by Princeton University, US, found that it takes just a tenth of a second to form a first impression.

What The Experts Say: “Both men and women want someone that looks good,” says Dr Barlow. “If we find someone attractive, then we tend to see them as smarter, funnier and kinder. It’s the halo effect. That can make us think they are more compatible with us than they actually are, though.”

The Algorithm Method