13.02.2024 - One in four Swedes thinks it's unattractive for a partner to drink a lot of alcohol. Despite this, every third person has been drunk on a date themselves. This is shown in a survey conducted by Novus on behalf of IQ ahead of Valentine's Day. Wednesday is Valentine's Day, and ahead of it, IQ has investigated which behaviors are perceived as least attractive in a partner. Drinking too much alcohol ranks high on the list, closely followed by dishonesty, poor hygiene, and being unpleasant to people. At the same time, IQ's survey shows that every third person has drunk themselves to intoxication on a date.
"We know that many people drink alcohol while dating and flirting. One or two glasses can give a relaxed feeling and make us braver. But if you continue to drink, you become worse at picking up on your date or partner's subtle, yet so important, signals," says Mojtaba Ghodsi, CEO of IQ.
Among the young, aged 18–34, high alcohol consumption does not seem to be as big a problem. Only one in eight young people considers drinking a lot of alcohol to be unattractive behavior, compared to the average for all ages, which is one in four.
"I see two possible explanations. Today's youth drink less alcohol, which could mean that it's not as common to have a date too intoxicated. At the same time, we know that it is between the ages of 20 and 30 that the most alcohol is consumed. Another explanation could also be that for young people, it's completely natural to drink a lot, and therefore not something they find annoying in a partner," says Mojtaba Ghodsi.
Top 5 - least attractive traits in a partner
Being dishonest
Having poor hygiene
Being unpleasant to people
Drinking a lot of alcohol
Lacking humor
About the survey The survey was conducted via 1,063 web interviews in Novus' randomly recruited Sweden panel (ages 18–84), ensuring representative results. Field period: February 2–7, 2024. Read more in the attached fact sheet.
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