The choreography of human attraction: physiological synchrony in a blind date setting

Humans are social animals whose well-being is shaped by the ability to attract one another and connect with each other. To determine what drives attraction, we measured the physiological dynamics between people during real-life dating interactions outside the laboratory, where it is most relevant. Participants wore eye-tracking glasses with embedded cameras, and devices to measure physiological signals including heart rate and skin conductance. We demonstrate that females were more expressive than males, while males looked longer at females. Crucially, visible signals that can be controlled, such as facial expressions or gaze, did not predict attraction. Instead, attraction was predicted by synchrony in heart rate and skin conductance between partners, which is unconscious and difficult to regulate. Our findings suggest that shared emotionality is vital for mutual attraction. Moreover, physiological synchrony may provide a medium for translating visible expressions into embodied emotions, which can turn into intentions via somatosensory simulation.