Call it new-age dating but nearly one in four women now go on a date not for the sake of romance or building a long-term relationship but grabbing a free meal, an interesting study has revealed.
The new phenomenon is a "foodie call" where a person sets up a date with someone they are not romantically interested in, for the purpose of getting a free meal.
New research finds that 23 to 33 per cent of women in an online study admitted they have engaged in a "foodie call".
The researchers found that women who scored high on the "dark triad" of personality traits (psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism), as well as expressed traditional gender role beliefs, were most likely to engage in a "foodie call" and find it acceptable.
"Several dark traits have been linked to deceptive and exploitative behaviour in romantic relationships, such as one-night stands, faking an orgasm, or sending unsolicited sexual pictures," said researchers.
In the first study, 820 women were recruited. They answered a series of questions that measured their personality traits, beliefs about gender roles, and their "foodie call" history. They were also asked if they thought a "foodie call" was socially acceptable.
Twenty-three per cent of women in this first group revealed they'd engaged in a "foodie call".
The researchers also note that "foodie calls" could occur in many types of relationships, and could be perpetrated by all genders.