Men begin thinking about professing their love 97.3 days into a relationship, says a new study. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology study, however, said men who profess their love early in a relationship are "not to be trusted".

Women actually prefer it when males wait to get serious, the Daily Mail reported. The study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology questioned 45 men and women.

It found that men said the phrase "I love you" before women 61.5 percent of the time. Men also felt "happiest" to hear the three words early in a relationship. Most, however, see the phrase "as a sign a woman wants to go to bed with them".

If spoken later in a relationship, men "may fear commitment", it said. Women, however, do not trust men who say "I love you" too early.

But if said after they are in a sexual relationship, the words bring with them the promise of commitment and a potential father to a child.

Researchers said: "Men consider expressing their feelings six weeks before women do. One important reason men may confess love earlier than women do is because men have a stronger desire to motivate early sexual activity in relationships."