BRISBANE — Dating apps are an extremely popular way to socialize and pick up others these days, but recent research suggests they might actually lead people to lower their standards as well.
According to researchers at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, singles tend to have a clear idea as to what’s on their dating wish lists, but are actually more likely to go out with people they met online who don’t actually meet those requirements.
Behavioral economists Stephen Whyte and Professor Benno Torgler were behind the research published as “Preference vs Choice in Online Dating” in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking. They watched the behavior of nearly 42,000 people between the ages of 18 and 80 who were using an Australian dating site called “RSVP” from Jan. 2016 through April 2016. About 78 percent of the participants were men.
Whyte explained the intentions of the study.
“We looked at whether or not people actually contact people who match what they say is their ideal partner in their profile, and our findings show they don’t,” he says in a university release. “Stating a preference for what you are looking for appears to have little to no bearing on the characteristics of people you actually contact.”
Participants’ “wish lists” were comprised of seven categories for an ideal mate: hair color, eye color, body type, education level, personality type, political view, and religious affiliation. The authors determined that instead of searching until they found someone who met their dating wish list criteria, participants were likely to communicate with people who had only some of those characteristics.
In fact, the study showed that more than 65 percent of the contacts the participants made with potential dates on the site had one or less category that matched their wish list. About one in three contacts had zero matching attributes.
“Disclosure of ‘ideal’ partner preferences is a widely offered and commonly-used option for people creating a profile on online dating websites, but whether it’s effective or useful in helping people find that special someone is unclear,” says Whyte. “This study provides quite unique findings in that people may state a preference for an ideal partner but they are more than happy to initiate contact with potential love interests that bear no resemblance whatsoever to that ‘Mr or Mrs Perfect’ they initially think they prefer over all others.”
In addition to their main findings, the authors also noted that men tended to be more open-minded than female in contacting potential mates with fewer matches — except for men in their 60s or older, who were more selective.
The study is limited in the sense though, that it’s hard to say how many people hold out for their perfect person when socializing in real life as opposed to online.
Honestly internet dating is too much effort, and bases 90% of the match on the photos presented. If you are a dude, you aint getting looks unless you are a good looking dude. If you are a woman, most men will settle for a 6 for a one night roll in the hay.
That is the difference.
I find it funny that it’s now easier to find a date online in todays society and to get dates in person gets you looked at like your a freak because people have grown so awkward when it comes to face to face contact. I know from personal experience from the last girl I went out with even though she asked me out.
I HAD NEVER CONSIDERED THAT POSSIBILITY BEFORE. VERY INTERESTING!
THOSE MEN ARE USUALLY DRUNK OR DOPED UP TOO!
People need to lower their standards anyway. Holding to this Hollywood romanticized view of dating and marriage, and trying to hold out for Mr./Ms. Absolutely Perfect, is why so many people end up divorced and alone.
Not sure I agree. Religious and Political standings are fundamental to marriage. Height, weight and eye color are mostly nonsense. Looks die with age, though you have to be able to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. So being selective of athletic and slim body types is also fairly important. I.E. not Slothful
THE CURRENT HOLLYWOOD IDEA OF LOVE IS QUEERS, GANG BANGS, THREESOMES INTERRACIAL ROMANCE, BI-SEXUALITY AND MISTRESSES. STRAIGHT AND MARRIED IS NOT ON THE AGENDA!
Calm down Nathan Bedford Forrest….No ones coming for your white women….
WHO? CAN YOU READ? I LISTED 6 UNDESIRABLE THINGS THAT HOLLYWOOD PROMOTES AND YOU CHOOSE ONE TO COMMENT ABOUT? THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT YOU!
Speaking of volume….
NEWSFLASH – EMAIL IS A SILENT MEDIUM! IN A READ ONLY FORMAT THE LETTERS ON YOUR KEYBOARD AS THE EASIEST TO READ ONLINE!
Newsflash….This isn’t E-mail. I’m just curious why you type in all caps like some deranged 3rd grader with a fat crayon…
YOUR STUPIDITY IS NOT NEWS. EVER TRY TO READ SOMETHING AND HAVE AN ASTEROID FIELD BLOCK YOUR VIEW?
All the time…
THEN WHAT IS THE MEDICAL TERM USED TO DESCRIBE THEM?
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
BECAUSE IT IS!
So singles are all dating beneath them selves. They can’t all be dating beneath themselves. 50% of those individuals are dating someone out of their league. You have to look at the glass is half full.
Sometimes, it’s the colostomy bag that half full…
IN THIS CASE IT IS HALF FULL F CRAP!
While I was growing up chasing pussy was a full time occupation. Now just dial it in bang,bang. Next?
The last sentence of this article shows the headline to be a falsehood.
My wife Lowered her standards when she met me…….
Mine did too, and she’s damn glad she did.
It’s a fat market.
Give them some Safe Spaces ! WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH !
It just depends on how long it’s been since the last hookup. If I just got it last night, I won’t settle. Give me about 4 weeks on a dry spell and I’d take a Karashian out on a date.
YOU LACK SELF-CONTROL. I WOULD NEVER EVEN CONSIDER THAT AS A VIABLE POSSIBILITY!
lol… give it 8 weeks and I’d probably take Bruce on a date 🙂
Thankfully!!! Met my fiance online. Been together 8 years now… if she hadn’t lowered her standards I’d been in trouble.
marry her fool
Oh, I will.. heh.
YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT, CONCERNING YOURSELF.
Seems an insult except I’d already made it evident.
Because nothing is as important when finding a mate as haircolor and eye color.
You couldn’t lower standards much lower than where I am now. I hold a mirror to their mouth, and if it fogs up, they’re acceptable.
In the West, men pursue women and the women are the arbiters of final choice. Formerly, that involved putting in a bit of effort and taking a time to make a decision. Conflict may have arisen because men have delusional allusions regarding their own status and what they expect in a partner while women are unrealistic romantics. Dating apps today allow for misrepresentation by either party and instant gratification with all the resultant pitfalls. While bad choices may have been made prior to dating apps, you can now make more of those in a shorter period of time.
Do I need standards to use an online dating site?
If you have to go online to find a date, then you aren’t worth dating at all.
Woah, what insight you have. I guess my life isn’t worth anything since we met each other online… we love each other, we find each other attractive. We love each others quirks. both of us have full time jobs, we now own a house, 2 cars… we vacation and have fun. We take our own time and money and work charitable things.. and at night we get to set down together and do what we like.. watch movies or play a game. Giant Jenga was awesome last week. We’ll do that again soon. But neither of us are worth dating…at all.. weird… somehow our relationship is the envy of some of those around us.. but we aren’t worth anything. poor us.
Men are on them for hookups women for true love and the vicious cycle continues……….
Democrats have been convincing people to lower their standards for decades. how else can you possibly explain pelosi and waters and obama?
YOU FORGOT HILLARY. GOOD POINT THOUGH!
left her out, because she lost. people weren’t THAT stupid – yet.
This brings to mind the snarky t-shirt which sports a drawing from an old time but good looking female, hoisting a glass, with the text, Vodka – because you’re ugly and I’m horny.
Well of course not. Ppl have these ideal visions of who they want and think the Internet will bring them their ideal match. Total BS. You shop from among the options you have. Just like anything else in life. It’s no different from going to look for your “ideal pair of socks”, whatever that looks like. You will never find them. So you take the best that you can get. Same thing in the dating world.
Grow up, people.
Beer does the same thing and you don’t need a computer