However, one particularity of the human species is that pair bonds are often formed without necessarily having the intention of reproduction.

A few centuries ago, dating was sometimes described as a "courtship ritual where young women entertained gentleman callers, usually in the home, under the watchful eye of a chaperone," but increasingly, in many Western countries, it became a self-initiated activity with two young people going out as a couple in public together.The protocols and practices of dating, and the terms used to describe it, vary considerably from country to country and over time.