Physical Attraction Less Important to Today's Singles According to New Dating Survey

PALM DESERT, Calif., Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey by specialty dating service It's Just Lunch reveals that most singles believe in a different version of romantic chemistry than the one portrayed in the movies and on their iPod. 5000 singles were asked "When you think of chemistry on a first date, which of the following do you think is the most important component?" Though 20% were sparked by physical attractiveness, and 7% by flirty or sexy banter, the clear winner was "feeling comfortable together," the answer selected by 44% of singles-- and surprisingly 49% of men. "Great conversation" was the runner-up, selected by 28%.

The question was part of research conducted at www.ItsJustLunch.com, for a new e-magazine, Twenty Years of First Dates: What Other Singles Want You to Know. It's Just Lunch is giving away this e-magazine in honor of its 20th anniversary.  It's also available for purchase on Amazon, BN.com and iBooks.

"We all have certain people that we feel at ease with, from the moment we meet them," says Irene LaCota, spokesperson for It's Just Lunch. "Most singles find that sense of comfort rarer and more meaningful than just physical attraction."

Comfort was also the number one answer in another survey question. When It's Just Lunch asked singles how they judge the success of a first date, 43% chose "I felt comfortable being myself." Other top answers: 29% of singles chose "I walked away with a smile" and 15% selected "There was never a lull in the conversation."

LaCota says that even though there are strategies you can use to help your date relax and make the conversation flow, "The level of comfort two people feel with each other still comes down to something indefinable that you can't really plan--chemistry."

It's Just Lunch is a personalized dating service for busy professionals. The company has coordinated over two million dates for clients since opening in 1991. IJL minimizes the stress and maximizes the efficiency of dating by sending people on casual, no-pressure dates over lunch, brunch or drinks after work. IJL's team of dating specialists, not a computer, perform the matchmaking.   The company has over 150 locations in the U.S., Canada and internationally. 

SOURCE It's Just Lunch