Strategies for meeting prospective mates: An explorative analysis in the Greek cultural context

Abstract

Most people strive toward establishing long‐term romantic relationships, and the majority eventually succeed in doing so, which raises the question of how people meet prospective mates. In the current research, we used in‐depth interviews and open‐ended questionnaires in a sample of 218 Greek‐speaking participants, and we identified 44 acts that people perform in order to meet prospective mates, and 17 categories indicating where people met their current or previous mates. In addition, we used quantitative research methods in a sample of 821 Greek‐speaking participants, and we classified these acts into eight broader strategies. The most frequently adopted ones, included demonstrating active interest to prospective mates, going out to bars, clubs and cafés, improving one's looks and asking friends to introduce one to available individuals. For several strategies, we found significant sex and age effects. Furthermore, most participants indicated that they met their current and previous partners from friends and acquaintances, in school or university, on social media, and on a night out.