Each year, starting in the late autumn, a cultural phenomenon known as "cuffing season" creeps onto the modern dating scene, when single people seek out a romantic relationship for the cold, dark winter months. But is there any science to it?

'Tis the season to be cuffed.

To clarify, I'm not encouraging bad behaviour, but referring to the cultural phenomenon known as "cuffing season" – when single people wave goodbye to the freedom and frivolity of summer and seek out romantic relationships for the dark, arduous months of the year. I can see the appeal, if not the mere convenience, at least; perhaps it would be nice to have a special someone to dance with under the glistening lights, or cling to amidst the chaos of obligatory family gatherings where a distant relative will undoubtedly, as you're blissfully chomping through a mince pie, interrogate you about your dating life.

Where the term "cuffing season" came from is unclear, though it is suggested that it emerged around 2009 – with "getting cuffed" used as slang for entering a committed relationship. But do people really seek out a partner, deliberately, for the winter? And if so, can this behaviour tell us something about human psychology, or even our evolutionary biology? I found out whether there's any science behind it.

"Cuffing season refers to this idea that mating behaviours are seasonal," says Christine Ma-Kellams, associate professor of psychology at San Jose State University in California. But there's not a consensus on why it happens. If you look at modern-day behaviours, Ma-Kellams says, "Searches for things like porn and dating websites, even prostitution, peak twice a year, so not only in the winter, but in the summer as well". Take this 2012 study on the volume of internet searches for sex-related terms, for example. The results demonstrated a consistent six-month cycle, with peaks in search interest occurring in winter and summer.

Another study from the 1990s sought to find out whether there were seasonal variations of sexual activity. To do this, researchers plotted birth rates outside of marriage, abortions, sexually transmitted infections and condom sales, and found that there was an increase in sexual activity (and unsafe sex) around the Christmas period. However, there have been no recent studies that can suggest this trend is ongoing.

Nevertheless, data from dating apps suggests that autumn and winter is the most popular time to match with a partner. Dating app Bumble's research shows that the most popular time to swipe is between late November and mid-February – perfect timing for a Valentine's Day breakup – a "highly scripted" day of expectation which, according to these researchers, can arguably cause the demise of relationships rather than enhance them.

"We know that people are somewhat thinking about this idea of romance and the holidays," says Justin Garcia, executive director of The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, an interdisciplinary research centre for sexuality and relationships, and author of The Intimate Animal. Garcia is also dating site Match.com's chief scientific advisor. "Online dating occurs throughout the whole year. There's a lot of activity, millions of swipes and messages being sent every day, but you see a real ramp up in those winter months." Of course, we can theorise why this might be – possibly as we're stuck inside or at our family home where the only means of connecting with new people is through our phones.

Perhaps, to find out if dating really is seasonal, we could turn to our animal friends for guidance. Some species – not........

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