Scientific studies have revealed some techniques that can make someone to fall in love.
Look, we’ll say up front that you
can’t “make” someone fall in love with you. The feelings are either there or
they aren’t. However, there are some scientific studies out there that explain
how certain techniques or behaviors can actually increase your chance of
falling in love with somebody. So, no, you can’t cast a spell on your
would-be-lover. But you can take a cue from these research studies and
potentially up your chances of developing romantic feelings.
After all, science knows best.
1.
Make googly eyes
We’ve all heard that “eyes are the
windows to the soul.” Never underestimate the power of eye contact. According
to a 1989 study, participants who exchanged mutual and unbroken eye contact for
two minutes reported increased feelings of passionate love for each other, even
if they were total strangers.
2. Play hard to get
In a dream world, you could approach your crush, declare your love for them, and receive an honest appraisal of their feelings in return. But, unfortunately, things are never that simple in real life. That’s why people play games; specifically they play hard to get. According to the “scarcity principle” invented by Robert Cialdini, objects that are rare, unique, or limited in time will make people desire them more. In one study of college students, four women were shown pictures of men they were told either liked them “a lot,” “an average amount,” or who “were uncertain of their feelings,” and then we’re asked to rate how attractive they found each photo. If you guessed that they found the “uncertain of their feelings” guys the most attractive, you’d be correct!
3. Try the “36 questions”
If you are friendly with the person you have your heart set on, why not try the “36 questions” made famous by Mandy Len Catron’s’s Modern Love essay in the New York Times. In it, she describes love researcher Arthur Aron’s 1967 study of interpersonal closeness that resulted in 36 questions that can make anyone, even two strangers, supposedly fall in love.
4. Don’t live too far away
A long-distance relationship might be successful
once you’re already in love, but to help encourage someone to fall in love with
you, you have an advantage if you live close to where your would-be paramour
resides. A 1932 study of marriage licenses in Philadelphia found that of five
thousand couples who planned to wed, one-third of them lived within a 5-block
radius of each other. Of course, this was way before texting
existed!
5. Bond over an adrenaline rush
In 1973, a study found a connection between
adrenaline rushes and sexual attraction. Test subjects were put in a scary
situation (a shaky bridge), and then had to rate their feelings toward other
participants. Compared to the control group who were on a safe, non-rickety
bridge, the people who thought their lives were in danger were much more
attracted to their fellow test subject. Now, don’t go finding a rickety bridge
to stand on with your crush. But a rollercoaster date might be a perfect (and
much safer) choice.
6. Notice what hobbies and interests they have
While it’s a romantic notion that opposites attract,
science tells us that people tend to fall in love with those who are very
similar to ourselves. Studies have linked similar backgrounds and similar
levels of physical attractiveness to the process of falling in love. So
while it’s a terrible idea to try to change yourself in order to have more in
common with or please somebody else, if your crush is, say, a big GoT
fan, and you’ve always been curious about watching that show, perhaps it’s time
to fire up the HBO Go and finally figure out what everyone means when they
quote “Winter is coming.”


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