A recent study on romantic first impressions from the University of California published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that compatibility and popularity in the dating pool have an impact on who individuals pursue as possible love partners.

Although popularity and compatibility have been studied in established romantic relationships, in one of the first studies of its kind, UC Davis researchers explored whether these and other types of romantic first impressions affected later romantic outcomes. Researchers found that first impressions tend to linger, shaping whether people desired further contact with potential romantic partners after an initial meeting.