Autonomic Nervous System Indicators of Love: Evaluation of Matching of Marriage Partners Using Heart Rate Correlation Analysis

Japan's declining birth rate and reduced formation of couples has become a serious social issue. This study aims to identify factors contributing to successful couple matching by analyzing heart rate data from participants in a matchmaking event. 16 participants (8 men and 8 women) attended a 2-hour event where their heart rates were continuously measured during activities such as watching a short movie and participating in 1-on-1 and free talk sessions. After the event, participants selected up to three preferred partners. Pairs were categorized into “matching” (both selected each other as first or second choice), “non-matching” (one selected the other), and “others” (neither selected the other) groups. Correlation coefficients of heart rates were calculated for these groups. While heart rate synchronization during the movie viewing did not correlate with matching success, the “matching group” exhibited the highest heart rate synchronization when the analysis was conducted across all sections of the short movie viewing and 1-on-1 dialogue. This suggests that overall heart rate synchronization may indicate emotional compatibility and could serve as a new indicator in future matchmaking events.