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163Mimicry and pair-bonding9Figure 1. Probability of being attracted to a partner as a function of coysmile mimicry (counts, scaled for mean 0 and SD = 1). (B) Probability ofbeing attracted to a partner as a function of genuine smile mimicry (counts,scaled for mean 0 and SD = 1).lihood that two people would go on another date. This finding is unexpected,considering that previous research suggested that genuine smiles reflect positive affect and a willingness to affiliate (Ekman, Davidson, & Friesen, 1990;Hess & Fischer, 2022). However, our findings might suggest that, althoughgenuine smiles might reflect general positive affect, they do not indicate romantic interest specifically. Although it has been argued that the Duchenne(genuine) smile (and not other types of smiles, such as polite smiles thatdo not include the orbicularis oculi and that are thought of as forced/voluntary smiles) indicates enjoyment and reflects positive affect (Ekman etal., 1990; Frank & Ekman, 1993), this position has been recently debated.Recent studies have suggested that Duchenne smiles are frequently observedin intentional contexts, thus, may not be an indication of positive affect exclusively (Girard, Cohn, Yin, & Morency, 2021; Krumhuber & Manstead,2009). Future research should further examine whether or not the expressionand mimicry of genuine smiles indicate attraction in a blind-date setting.Our findings, albeit providing an insight into the dynamics of expressionsexhibited during first dates using an ecologically valid paradigm and precisecoding of (subtle) behaviors, should be interpreted with caution. First of all,the scope of the present study was limited to only heterosexual participantsand was mostly comprised of university students, which is a common practice in speed-dating studies (A. J. Lee et al., 2020; Perilloux et al., 2012).Furthermore, the social skills of our sample might differ from those of a widerpopulation, meaning that people more likely to attend speed-dating eventsIliana Samara 17x24.indd 163 08-04-2024 16:36