Is “Playing Hard To Get” A Good Dating Strategy

Master manipulators know that the way people participate with their money is to create an illusion of scattering. In other words, if you want people clamoring for whatever you are selling, tell people they don't have it ("Act now! Quantities are limited!"). Next thing you know, they will be ready to pay you even more than they were originally asking for! So does the same thing work when it comes to finding a date? Can you increase your desirability by making yourself less available? A new set of studies suggests that you can

In one study, heterosexual college students were presented with profiles of three equally attractive people or "targets" who differed in their level of availability (high, intermediate, or low). Asked for which goal he was most interested in dating or to pursue a committed relationship with him, the goal was preferred by both men and women, with intermediate availability; However, males desired targets with less availability than intermediate targets. A later study found that when a target was less available, participants expressed a greater willingness to take that person to a fancy restaurant and pay even more money for the date.

Overall, these findings tell us that the illusion of scattering is not simply an effective marketing strategy for merchants; It can also help you score a date and potentially return them for more.

To read more about this research, see this article on The Psychology of Human Sexuality.