Have you ever agonised over where to go on a first date with someone you really like? A recent study by Brand et al. (2025) explored whether the environment of a first date influences how close people feel to a potential romantic partner. The researchers recruited 201 undergraduate students (who received course credit for their participation in the study) and matched them in pairs based on gender and sexual orientation. Each pair took part in a 45-minute conversation using the Fast Friends Paradigm, a structured set of increasingly personal questions designed to encourage self-disclosure and intimacy.

Half the pairs completed the task in an appealing room (see figure 1 below) with warm lighting, décor, plants, and a lavender scent. The other half were placed in an unappealing space (see figure 1 below) with harsh lighting and clutter. Afterwards, participants individually rated their partner, how enjoyable the interaction felt, how close or romantically interested they were, and whether they wanted to see the person again. They could choose to exchange contact information, and a follow-up survey 30 days later measured whether they stayed in touch.

Figure 1: The appealing and unappealing rooms used in the study

Overall, the study found little difference between the appealing and unappealing rooms. Participants in both environments reported similar levels of initial closeness, enjoyment, and romantic interest. Only around 25% exchanged contact details, and genuine friendships or romances were rare (8%). However, at follow-up, those from the appealing room were more likely to say they wanted to get closer compared to those from the unappealing room.

The researchers suggest that the conversation task itself may have been powerful enough to create closeness regardless of the room. This implies that while setting might matter slightly, quality of interaction is likely more important for forming new relationships.

Reference:

Does it matter where you have a first date? https://www.bps.org.uk/researc... (accessed 8.12.25)

“Is It (Un)romantic in Here or Is It Just Me?”: Examining the Effects of Physical Settings on Relationship Initiation Processes https://online.ucpress.edu/col... (accessed 8.12.25)

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS!

1. Identify the independent variable (IV) and dependent variable (DV)
2. Identify the type of experiment conducted.
3. Outline one weakness of this type of experiment, in the context of this study. How could this have been addressed?
4. Explain how demand characteristics may have influenced the results.
5. Suggest one ethical issue that may arise in this study and how it could be addressed