No Pressure No Shame 2015 Event

No Pressure No Shame is a relationship social experiment that redefines the rules of modern romance etiquette. It is a dating event meets conference/festival that combines the best of art, education, advocacy, and fun to shift the way we find love and intimacy to a more inclusive, healthy , and safe environment.

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The tenants of the event are based on communication theory and behavioral economics. We hope to understand how we make decisions about match making based on our interpretations of behavior and expectations learned through social conditioning.

1. Show Up Confidently = Come As You Are + Know What You Want
2. Communicate Clearly = Be Sincere + Be Consistent
3. Expect The Unexpected = Do Not Assume Intent Or Consent Without Confirmation

Problem:
Contemporary dating etiquette has shifted with the advent of digital mobile dating obfuscating the already complex process of understanding the dating objectives of ourselves and others.

Experiment:
Clarifying intro questions were asked to create a context for the type of activity participants were seeking, if known. The event was structured in a way that removed specific criteria from the match selection process,(visual, biographical) thus neutralizing specific criteria to allow for introspection and greater understanding of the participants’ dating objectives.

Result:
Matches were made with alternative selection criteria, expanding the possibility of who potential match partners might be. Intro questions were helpful in clarifying the dating objectives that led the types of matches that would be pursued. Some people hooked up, others exchanged numbers!