They’re often perceived as cheesy, but a new study suggests that used in the right way, pickup lines can actually be an effective way to secure a date .
Researchers from Saint Mary’s University and Bucknell University have explored which pick-up lines used by women work best on men.
Their findings suggest that direct pick-up lines such as ‘Can I have your number?’ are more effective than flippant or vague comments, such as ‘Can you recommend a good drink?’
In the study, the team asked 18 heterosexual women to come up with pick-up lines, which were then divided into innocuous, flippant or direct.
Next, 205 heterosexual men were asked to rate photos of women for both attractiveness and promiscuity. Finally, the pick-up lines with randomly assigned to 12 images of men.
The results revealed that direct pick-up lines were preferred over flippant or innocuous pick-up lines.
Direct pick-up lines included ‘Want to have a drink together?’ and ‘Can I have your number?’, while flippant lines included ‘Shall we talk, or continue flirting from a distance?’ and ‘I'm easy, are you?’
And the least effective lines, deemed innocuous, include ‘Can you recommend a good drink?’ and ‘Where did you get that tattoo? Did it hurt?’
However, regardless of the line used, once a woman had been deemed attractive by the male participants, she was rated highly.
In the study, published in Personality and Individual Differences , the researchers wrote: “The initial communication that occurs between prospective romantic partners is critical in determining whether an interaction and subsequent relationship will continue or not.
“Results indicate that direct pick-up lines are preferred over flippant or innocuous pick-up lines, with the innocuous being the least preferred. Further, regardless of the line that is used, once a woman has been viewed as attractive by men, she is rated positively.”
The researchers now hope to carry out follow-up studies, looking at whether the same effect is seen in real-life studies, and not just those showing photos of women.
They added: “It may be advantageous to investigate one's preference for long and short-term relationships, as it may influence ratings of pick-up lines’ effectiveness.
“It is possible that individuals currently seeking short-term relationships may rate more lines as being effective than those seeking long-term relationships."
