Dancing in synchrony with a new acquaintance increases romantic interest

Abstract Previous research shows that moving in synchrony with others fosters social connection. In a preregistered experiment, we tested whether dancing, and particularly dancing in synchrony (vs. asynchronously) with a new acquaintance increases romantic interest. Female participants were paired with a male partner (a confederate from the lab) and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: dancing the same moves in synchrony, dancing different moves asynchronously or sitting together without dancing (no-dance). Among 245 participants, those who danced synchronously with the confederate showed the greatest increase in romantic interest, when compared with the asynchronous and the no-dance condition. Furthermore, asynchronous dancing also increased romantic interest more than not dancing. Exploratory analyses showed that the effect of synchronous (vs. asynchronous) dancing on romantic interest was mediated by a change in positive affect. These findings suggest that dancing in synchrony with a stranger may promote romantic interest.