Love at first sight: what are the chances? The science behind the enigma featured in hit Netflix movie
The phenomenon of love at first sight has long fascinated people and is the central theme of a new Netflix film.
A huge hit with viewers, Love at First Sight tells the story of a man and woman who fall head over heels after meeting at an airport. He studies statistics at Yale and the film is obsessed with the likelihood of love at first sight.
The chances of sparks flying so quickly on screen are high, as the history of rom-coms shows, but how often does this happen in real life?
These moments can occur unexpectedly, explains psychologist Susan Albers Cleveland Clinic. She adds, “It’s very easy to get caught up in the intensity of that experience.”
We explore what experts have to say about the idea of love at first sight, what the odds are, and how real the phenomenon is outside of Hollywood.
Ben Hardy and Haley Lu Richardson play Oliver and Hadley in the chart-topping Netflix film Love at First Sight, which debuted at number one upon its release on September 15
What are the chances of love at first sight?
Some may consider it romantic to the point of delusion to entertain the hope of falling in love at first sight, but fairytale first encounters seem far from rare.
Doctor Albers said CBS: ‘More than 60 percent of people indicate that they have felt love at first sight at some point in their lives.
“However, infatuation and attraction may be a better term to describe this phenomenon.”
What is the science behind love at first sight?
It is thought that rising levels of ‘happiness hormones’ such as oxytocin and dopamine play an important role and that love engages the prefrontal cortex part of the brain.
“Our prefrontal cortex makes a lot of quick decisions with minimal information throughout the day, and recognizing love at first sight is one of those decisions,” says Dr. Albers.
“You see someone and within seconds you know if you are attracted to them.”
Sex hormones testosterone and estrogen play a key role in that initial physical attraction, which is vital in those early moments.
Dr. Helen Fischer of Rutgers University believes that love can be broken down into lust, attraction and attachment
What causes love at first sight?
“All it takes is a look, a smile, a smell,” wrote Marriage.com expert Rachael Pace.
It could be the way someone looks, body language, clothing, smell, speech or any of those hard-to-explain factors that make you attracted to that person.
Dr. Helen Fischer of Rutgers University divides love into three components: lust, attraction and attachment.
Lust is driven by the desire for sexual satisfaction, attraction involves high levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, and attachment involves long-term bonds. told Harvard Science in the news in 2017.
Research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals the importance of physical harmony between two people on a date.
“Connecting with a partner depends on how well we can synchronize our bodies,” wrote author Dr. Shir Atzil.
‘The study showed that within two minutes of the date, physiological synchrony is predictive of romantic interest.’
Studies have shown that more men than women seem to believe in love at first sight, and while men take 88 days to fall in love, for women it can take up to 134 days
Love at First Sight is one of the most watched movies on Netflix
Who believes in love at first sight?
Rachael Pace cited a study from Elite Singles that found that 72 percent of men believe in love at first sight, while only 61 percent of women do.
In 2013 Veronica Hefner and Barbara J Wilson interviewed 335 students tried to understand how their opinions changed after watching romantic comedy films.
The findings of that study support what many suspect: that people who watch rom-coms are more likely to have idealized romantic ideals and fall in love more quickly.
It’s often considered foolish to pin your hopes on an initial spark, and many experts warn of the dangers of confusing love with lust or infatuation.
Instant chemistry isn’t necessarily a good indicator of a relationship’s prospects, but it’s not always a red flag either.
Some experts believe mutual openness to the idea of falling in love quickly can help those more romantic couples forge a close bond and tell a compelling story that brings them closer together.
So you can keep watching those rom-coms without ruining your love life.