Psychologists explain the one flirting technique that's going to work almost every time

Getting someone you fancy to go a date might feel like you've done the hard part. But many of us have experienced that awkward moment on a date where it's gone to pot.

First impressions are everything and can be the vital difference between a date turning in to a blossoming romance or saying your goodbyes after a few drinks.

Fear not, though, as experts are here with some top advice on what they claim is the one technique that you should bring in to your game.

And it's almost foolproof in its success, they say.

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are here with their expert advice on all things flirting.

Teaming up with Bucknell University and State University of New York for a study into all things rizz, the academics studied flirting across the United States of America and Norway.

Focusing on a group of 1,000 participants, it studied 40 different flirting approaches.

The key outcome was to find which worked and which fell flat.

Dating can be daunting (Getty Stock Images)

Something called the 'sexual strategies theory' was used as the premise for the research. This is something that suggests people have evolved to a point where we're strategic in who we pick as a romantic partner.

"Individual differences in age, religiosity, extroversion, personal attractiveness and preferences for short-term sexual relationships had little or no effect on how effective respondents considered the various flirting tactics to be," says one of the professors in the study, Mons Bendixen.

Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair – a professor at NTNU’s Department of Psychology, said: "Flirting involves different signals that people send to each other. It’s done to attract potential partners.

"Men and women both flirt to get the attention of a desired partner, and perhaps to achieve a sexual or romantic result from it.

"What’s most effective depends on your gender and whether the purpose of the flirtation is a long-term or short-term relationship."

There's one way experts say you're most likely to make a date a success (Getty Stock Images)

So, the study.

It found that the one thing that worked in almost every situation was being funny and showing you have a sense of humour.

Kennair explained: "People think that humour, or being able to make another person laugh, is most effective for men who are looking for a long-term relationship.

"It’s least effective for women who are looking for a one-night stand. But laughing or giggling at the other person’s jokes is an effective flirtation tactic for both sexes."

Rebecca Burch, a co-author from SUNY Oswego, said: "It is not only effective to be funny, but for women it is very important that you show your potential partner that you think they are funny."

For now, though, we'd make the effort to stay away from the dad jokes.