Pretty Helpful Dating

 If you are anything like me you will have seen an influx of videos on your TikTok page about people’s ‘icks’.  But what is an ick? Ick is an informal word that can mean something gross or disgusting, but the most recent definition is used to describe the feeling when someone you fancy does something that causes them to be suddenly unattractive. The Urban Dictionary definition states it is “something someone does that is an instant turn-off for you, making you instantly hate the idea of being with them romantically.” These can range from the smallest actions that people might not even be aware of to the way they dress. What is one person’s ick might be another’s favourite thing about someone, it is entirely personal and some people don’t even realise they have a dislike towards things until they experience their partner doing it. People have reported some extremely normal and everyday actions as an ick – this just shows how each person is different. It can be as small as the w...

  How do dating apps actually work? We have all heard of them, millions of us have used one at some point but do we actually understand what is going on behind the scenes? Dating apps are a lot more techy and complex than many realise – keep reading to find out how they find us our matches. Dating apps make use of processes or  algorithms  to decide who to match you with. An algorithm is a common term in maths and computer science, not something you expect to be at the forefront of dating. They are defined as a sequence of instructions that the computer can understand and carry out, they can perform things like calculations and data processing. To understand this a bit better let’s look at a popular example; Tinder. Tinder reports 50 million users, with 10 million of them using the dating app every day. We can see they really know what they are doing with their algorithm since they have generated 20 billion matches since 2012. The algorithm builds your matches based on th...

 Speed dating can seem like a scary idea at first!  Even though it is getting more popular there are still so many people who have never done it before. This post is here to answer any questions you might have about speed dating.  What do I wear? This is one of the most common questions we hear when people are about to go speed dating. It is normal to want to make a good impression so naturally, we want to dress our best. Some worry that they will be overdressed and feel silly or worry they look too casual compared to everyone else.  My top tip is to be YOU. Do not worry about what other people are wearing (90% of other people will also be thinking the same as you!), wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable no matter what. You will feel so much better on a date when you are feeling confident in what you are wearing. If that means getting dressed up full glam or wearing something more casual, then do what is best for you!  Your date will appr...

  From class projects, questionnaires and new technologies; how the dating world has evolved to where it is now. Have you ever wondered how online dating started? Where did it originate from? How has it evolved?  The start of what we know You might be surprised to find out that online dating started way back in  1959  with a couple of students at Stanford. As you know one of the key components of online dating is the online feature, which typically requires some form of computational technology. Philip Fialer and James Harvey used an  IBM 650  computer along with a questionnaire to match 49 men and 49 women. They only had limited access to the IBM computer as it was a new addition to Stanford, it was the first mass-produced computer. In 1964 is when we see the first match-by-computer being made.  Joan Ball  was the founder of St. James Computer Dating Service (later renamed  Com-Pat ). This system worked by translating survey answers and runn...

    We all know what it means to be funny or be someone with a good sense of humour, but did you know there are different styles of humour? There are a lot of skills that are needed to show off your sense of humour; you need the ability to create and remember jokes, enjoy humorous materials, and the behaviour to amuse others and laugh with others too. However, humour is not only used to amuse and entertain. It can also be used as a way to cope or a defence mechanism. In 2003, researchers designed a questionnaire (The Humor Styles Questionnaire; HSQ) which can let you know how you use humour. There are 4 distinct types of humour, and you might find you relate to more than one of these styles in your daily life. There 4 types include: Affiliative People who use this type of humour often use it for the benefit of being funny for others, they aim to entertain those around them with jokes, banter, and laughter. It has also been known to help friendships and relationships develop. T...

Dating is already stressful; we don’t need the added worry about whether or not you can afford to go out on a date. Just because a date is held in a fancy restaurant with expensive food, doesn’t automatically make it a great date. There are so many awesome date ideas that won’t cost lots of money– some are even completely free. Some people don’t always feel comfortable letting a new date know about their financial situation right away and could feel awkward bringing this up. If you feel like this, try suggesting some of these ideas to your date.  If it's sunny: Picnics This idea will only need a bit of preparation, you can cook most of your food at home which will also help to keep costs low. Head out with a blanket and your stash of food to a wonderful spot and get to know your date. You could both cook something to bring along – which can help you get to know each other as you discuss your favourite foods. Walks Whether this is just a short walk along the beach or up along a moun...

Don't get caught out by these scammers! We have all heard of the dangers of online dating, but have you heard about romance scams? There has been a 20% increase in bank transfer fraud in 2020 compared to the year before. Since the pandemic started there has been an increase in these types of scams, since everyone was stuck inside with only their phones and laptop to communicate with others. Lots of people started to feel more isolated and lonelier, scammers knew this and preyed on the more vulnerable. What are romance scams? It is also known as mass-marketing fraud, it makes use of mass communication to target victims for their money. Romance scammers will create fake profiles either on online dating sites or social media. They aim to form connections with their victims, allowing them to believe they are in a relationship with this person. The scammers build trust with their victims, talking with them multiple times a day for several days, weeks or even months in some cases. Scams ...

Do you pay attention to body language? When you are on a date, you want to make the best impression possible in the hopes that your date will like you back. But did you know your body language can reveal how you actually feel? Up to 90% of our communication is non-verbal! What does it all mean? Some body movements or gestures can have multiple meanings, which is why it is so important to read someone’s overall body language when they are talking to you. Don’t jump to conclusions – these indicators can be extremely subtle! Here are some examples below: Facial Expressions One of the most vital parts of non-verbal communication is often the part of someone we look to first. We can often instantly tell whether someone is feeling happy, sad or angry just by seeing if there is a smile or a frown on their face. But even then, there are different types of smiles with different meanings. Some can signal compassion (affiliative smiles), dominance (tend to be asymmetrical), deception, politeness ...

  2020 - The Year We Will All Remember 2020 was a crazy year. It caused a huge shift in the way people live their lives. We were all stuck inside and had to do our socialising online. This will have caused some  HUGE  issues for those singletons looking for the perfect match. They could no longer go out and meet people in the usual settings (bars, clubs, coffee shops) or even go out on first dates. Lockdown restrictions essentially stopped many people's dating lives. UNTIL we began to embrace  Virtual Dating , which isn't exclusive to single people looking for their new partner. Even couples in long-term relationships made use of this new phenomenon; the lockdown restrictions meant that many couples could not see each other if they were not living in the same household. Couples who lived 10 minutes away from each other acted like they were in long-distance relationships as video calls may have been their main form of contact. To avoid not seeing their partner, some c...

 Hello there! Welcome to my new blog - allow me to introduce myself. I am a psychology student who has become fascinated by the psychology of dating, this blog is my space to share everything I have learned with you all in the hopes of making the world of dating easier. This is a topic that I have somehow become an expert in, I have researched basically all areas of dating from speed dating to virtual dating. During this time I have learned a tonne of useful information that I hope will help anyone struggling to navigate the world of dating. So if you are interested in dating  - stick around! Follow along with my journey: Instagram LinkedIn