Love me tender, love me true? Er…maybe not. A study exposes the lies we tell on a date, and a psychologist explains why we tell porkies and how to spot them.
Our survey of 1,500 people showed that:
- 1 in 5 lie about their marital status online
- 27% will lie to new partner to win their approval
- When lying about their age, people will take an average of three years off their age
- 46% pretend to understand what their date says, even if they don’t
Robin Kramer, Evolutionary psychologist at the University of Bangor explains how to spot lover-boy lying
- Smiles with wrinkles around the eyes are more likely to be genuine, as are slower smiles.
- Nervous smiles tend to be larger, last longer and include more downward head movement, and are more likely to include an open mouth
- People may also try to hide the fact they don’t understand something by using hand gestures or nodding their head to signal agreement
- Humans feigning confidence will, like animals, aim try to appear larger by spreading their arms and their legs or clasping their hands behind their head
- Deception tends to occur alongside increased numbers of foot and leg movements, increased fidgeting and increased pupil size. You might also see less eye contact and more tension with more negative statements and fewer details
How else can you tell if you’re blind date’s Pretty Woman or the Wolf-Man?
Dominic Blackburn, Product Manager and dating-expert at 192.com says: “We’re not saying you should be intrusive, but a name search on 192.com will reveal your blind date’s marital status, who they live with, and their age, so pretty vital stuff to be aware of before you stagger up the aisle.”
Sick of waking up alone? Want somebody else to make the tea?
Then read our full dating press release and get informed, ‘cos true love is hard to find.
