1) A study determined that about two-thirds of couples started as friends before becoming romantically involved. The average length of friendship was about one to two years.
2) The study surveyed almost 1,900 university students and crowdsourced adults. Around 68 percent of participants reported being friends first. The results differed litte across gender and age groups.
3) The results, in this study at least, show that the notions of strangers falling in love, or “love at first sight” do not hold. It seems most romantic relationships start off as platonic friendship.
Take Home Message: Romantic relationships usually develops over time between friends. So if you’re looking for a romantic partner, it’s likely he or she may be one of your friends.
Journal source: Social Psychological and Personality Science
The Friends-to-Lovers Pathway to Romance: Prevalent, Preferred, and Overlooked by Science
July 12, 2021