Recent research has shown when is the best time to message the other person after a promising first date. And the response was surprising.
The studyshared in the Magazine of Social and Personal Relations by researchers from the Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany), analyzes the decisions of more than 500 participants who were subjected to a test created to try to find the perfect answer to a question often debated, both internally and externally: How do I continue after a pleasant first meeting?
Three variables were analyzed: relationship intentions, perceived chemistry, and motivation to translate the relationship into actionbased on a hypothetical situation of a first pleasant meeting in an Italian restaurant and a message at three different times: immediately after the meeting, the next morning or two days later.
The results
Participants had to vote from 1 to 9 (on a scale of 1: no interest and 9: very interested) to communicate how they would react to the message immediately after the appointment, the next morning, or two days later.
The study determined that who received a message the next morning They were the ones who were most satisfied. They reported the highest intention to pursue a relationship (6.15/9), the most intense chemistry (6.49/9), and the highest motivation to continue the relationship (6.86).
The worst of all plans turned out to be wait two days and in the middle, as the second option, was to send a message instantly after the appointment.
It was also concluded that women were more sensitive to timing and that men were less influenced.
The researchers determined that those who texted immediately after the date may appear “most in need”which influenced the other’s desire to start a relationship. At the same time, the results did not support the strategy of “playing hard to get.”
The most important factors were the «reciprocity» (an immediate message indicated interest and made recipients feel appreciated) and “trustworthiness” (those who sent messages the next morning were considered more trustworthy than those who waited two days, which predicted greater romantic interest).
The study is titled «How the timing of texting triggers romantic interest after the first date: A curvilinear U-shaped effect and its underlying mechanisms.» and was published in the magazine in February of this year.
