November, 2022 — Tinder, The world’s most popular app for meeting new people has partnered with leading body language expert, Adrianne Carter aka The Face Whisperer, to uncover the power of body language when dating.
Body language is an unspoken part of communication, which can often be misinterpreted when dating, but can reveal true thoughts and feelings when properly understood. Tinder and Adrianne Carter are ‘decoding’ body language for singles to better understand their date and the unconscious signals they emit.
Tinder recently asked some of its members to reflect on how they interpret different body language signals, from slouching, to playing with their ear lobes or crossing their legs. This was then analysed by Adrianne to reveal the ‘five dating body language ‘personalities’ to look out for when you’re on a date. (Nicely in time for the festive dating period.)
1. The Smooth Operator
Pictured left ‘The Smooth Operator’
‘The Smooth Operator’ is someone who likes to keep their options open. They can often be seen on a date preening their hair, directing their feet towards others (or the door) and have what appears to be a constant smirk on their face.
The way this dating personality walks is an easy way to identify them, as they have a swagger or strut in their step. Everything’s on their terms - they are often methodical in their approach to dating and are true smooth talkers.
2. The Real Deal
Pictured left ‘The Real Deal’
‘The Real Deal’ understands the assignment - their words and actions are always aligned. On a date, their smiles are genuine, they have an open and relaxed posture such as open arms and relaxed shoulders.
‘The Real Deal’ maintains the right amount of eye contact to convey that they are truly interested, by asking the right questions, listening to your answers and answering your questions too.
They can often be seen on a date leaning into the other person, relaxed in their posture, or even with a little bit of touching on the upper arm or knees.
Through their open body language they are likely to give an eyebrow flash to their date to show their keenness for future dates. They’re most likely looking to find common ground with their match by being upfront about what they’re looking for when dating and are the most authentic in their interactions.
3. The Cryptic
Pictured right ‘The Cryptic’
‘The Cryptic’ can seem aloof and distracted on a date. Their posture will be stiff, they’ll keep their distance physically and place barriers between themselves and their date, by keeping their chin high or leaning away.
When dating, this personality has a tendency for arriving late, going on their phone and rarely takes the lead in making arrangements for the date or shaping the conversation while on the date itself! They’re present in person, but might display behaviours which give off an uninterested or unavailable vibe.
Adrianne says someone may be acting this way because they genuinely aren’t into you, but it might also be their way of trying to ‘play it cool’ or playing hard to get.
4. The Grafter
Pictured right ‘The Grafter’
‘The Grafter’ is tactile on a date and will make their interest clear by leaning in and intensely gazing at their match. They convey enthusiasm and engagement with a full, upright posture.
‘The Grafter’ puts a lot of effort into dating and may come across as too keen, too soon, when trying to win their date over.
However, Adrianne says responsiveness (which might be misunderstood as being too keen) is actually viewed as one of the most attractive qualities by daters. This person tends to instigate dates, ask lots of questions and be eager to please.
5. The Overthinker
Pictured ‘The Overthinker’
‘The Overthinker’ is someone who’s a bit unsure of themselves and is more hesitant when it comes to dating. On a date, they tend to fidget, might have their arms folded and sometimes laugh nervously or go red. They will often avoid eye contact, be a bit awkward and bite their nails or lips.
This dating personality will come across as self-conscious, freeze if asked a question that they don’t know the answer to, or at the other end of the spectrum, be hyperactive and ramble.
Some may assume that ‘The Overthinker’ was uninterested, but Adrianne confirms they’re in fact more dependent on other people. Adrianne continues to say that surprisingly, one way to combat nervousness is to share how you’re feeling with your match.
Adrianne Carter AKA The Face Whisperer says: “There are several myths about body language that young singles can keep in mind for their first date this Christmas. One key myth to dispel is the suggestion that first impressions are always right. This is not necessarily the case - many first dates can be daunting and when given the opportunity to relax, people tend to show their true selves as you get to know them better.”
To help you spot the signs of attraction during the festive dating period, Tinder reveals the top body language tips that shows your date is into you.
NOTES TO EDITORS
* Qualitative research conducted from a focus group on the 3rd November with Tinder users aged 18-25 years old, facilitated by Adrianne and organised by Raptor.
About Tinder
Launched in 2012, Tinder is the world’s most popular app for meeting new people and has been downloaded more than 530 million times. The app is available in 190 countries and 45+ languages. More than half of all members are 18-25 years old. In 2022, Tinder was named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
About Adrianne Carter
Adrianne, also known as The Face Whisperer, is a body language expert with over 25 years experience, helping brands and businesses successfully uncover how people are feeling and improve communication.
She is a trained Counsellor and Psychotherapist, Body Language Expert, Consumer psychology guest lecturer, Natural Success Psychology Coach and fully qualified Facial Action Coding System coder too.
She can objectively interpret body language and emotions from facial expressions, based on years of research and millions of photographs and footage of people. She has worked with clients across the world – from Australia to Russia and Japan to the USA – with the likes of Apple, Coca-Cola, Unilever, and The National Trust.
She has two decades’ experience with a world-leading market research company, academic qualifications in body language and psychology, and scores of occasions guest lecturing in consumer psychology and behavioural economics at several UK universities.
