A third of female daters are only there for the free meal

Hands up, how many of us are guilty of suggesting the local hotspot for a first date when we’re pretty certain he isn’t ‘The One’?

According to new research published in the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, we’re not alone, as 23-33% of women arrange to meet up in the hope of a free meal.

Known as a ‘foodie call’, a number of us may only say yes to help save money while others simply fancy checking out the new restaurant that’s just opened nearby.

The first study conducted by Azusa Pacific University and the University of California analysed 820 women in total with 40% singletons, 33% married women and 27% of whom are in a committed relationship.

The results revealed that 23% of women have engaged in a ‘foodie call’ on an occasional basis with a number of them believing it to be socially acceptable.

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The second study analysed the answers of 357 female participants and discovered that a further 33% of women would go on a date purely for the free meal.

In both groups, the researchers - Brian Collisson, Jennifer Howell, and Trista Harig - noted that those who engage in ‘foodie calls’ also scored highly in ‘dark triad’ personality traits - which are linked to “deceptive and exploitative behaviour”.

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For instance, they are reportedly more likely to have one-night stands, fake an orgasm and send unsolicited sexual pictures.

It’s interesting to note, that this particular study only analysed the behaviour of heterosexual women and researchers emphasise that ‘foodie calls’ could occur in many other types of relationships regardless of sexuality or gender.

So next time you’re finishing up a first date, you might want to make sure to split the bill.

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