1 in 4 Americans Save This Move for Date #2

This is an exclusive study conducted by DatingAdvice.com, which surveyed respondents over the course of three weeks to reflect an accurate representation of the U.S. population.

That magical first date kiss we’ve all seen depicted in romantic comedies may be more illusive than we think.

Many Americans never quite capture that tender moment, while others find it in poor taste to get so familiar that early on in a budding relationship.

In a recent DatingAdvice.com study, we found more than one-fourth of Americans prefer to wait until the second date to take that particular dating step.

Many of the responses show how similarly some Americans feel about the matter, with 27 percent of homosexuals and 26 percent of heterosexuals saying they think it’s OK to kiss someone for the first time on the second date.

Likewise men only had a 2 percent difference than women in the amount of answers (27 percent to 25 percent, respectively).

In terms of marital status, the results also were closely aligned. Almost one out of four Americans agreed they’d rather wait whether they’re single, divorced or currently married.

At 34 percent, younger Americans had the highest response among the 1,080 people surveyed. Men and women aged 18 to 24 had a 79 percent higher likelihood of kissing a potential partner on the second date than men and women aged 54 to 64.

“More than one-fourth of Americans

would wait until the second date to kiss.”

Hispanics and high-wage earners also were among the most likely groups to postpone a first kiss.

About one-third of Hispanic respondents would do so, but only one in four Caucasian respondents would.

Thirty percent of those earning between $100,000 and $124,000 a year said the second date is the most appropriate time for a first kiss versus 21 percent of those earning $125,000 or more on an annual basis.

In terms of the least likely demographic to wait until the second date, Northeasterners take the cake.

Men and women living in states like New Hampshire and Delaware have a 29 percent lower likelihood of waiting until the second date to make a move than men and women living in the South, West and Midwest.

Rachel Dack, DatingAdvice.com’s women’s dating expert, said the study suggests more people are tuning into their own connection or lack thereof with their dates to determine if kissing on the first date is the right option for them.

“The hope is single individuals will determine when to kiss their date based on their own sense of internal readiness, attraction, values or gut feelings as opposed to acting out of pressure from society,” she said. “I think it is also important to note it might feel like you should kiss your date or get sucked into the belief that ‘everyone’ kisses on the first date, but clearly that’s not the case.”

The study surveyed 1,080 respondents over the course of three weeks, balancing responses by age, gender, income, race, sexuality and other factors in order to accurately represent the U.S. population. The study has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%.

Visit DatingAdvice.com/Studies for more research on dating and relationship topics.