Researchers study the concept of playing hard to get in dating and discuss its ability to make someone want to pursue you without necessarily liking you. The chapter explores variations of this effect seen in online dating and raises questions about communication ambiguity and uncertainty.
Folk wisdom suggests that playing ‘hard to get’ can help you attract a potential partner. But many psychologists have been skeptical about whether it does have an effect in dating. Over the past few years several new studies on the effect have aimed to pin down the rare circumstances where it might actually be effective.