Chapter 12. Online Dating

12.1 Introduction

Think Like a Scientist
true
dependent variable
The factor that is observed and measured for change in an experiment, thought to be influenced by the independent variable; also called the outcome variable.
correlation
The relationship between two variables.
independent variable
The purposely manipulated factor thought to produce change in an experiment; also called the treatment variable.
random assignment
The process of assigning participants to experimental conditions so that all participants have an equal chance of being assigned to any of the conditions or groups in the study.
experimental research
A method of investigation used to determine cause-and-effect relationships by purposely manipulating one factor thought to produce change in another factor.

Think Like a Scientist

Online Dating

By:

Susan A. Nolan, Seton Hall University

Sandra E. Hockenbury

REFERENCES

Lewandowski, Gary W.; Aron, Arthur; & Gee, Julie. (2007). Personality goes a long way: The malleability of opposite-sex physical attractiveness. Personal Relationships, 14, 571–585.

Lorenzo, Genevieve. L.; Biesanz, Jeremy C.; & Human, Lauren J. (2010). What is beautiful is good and more accurately understood: Physical attractiveness and accuracy in first impressions of personality. Psychological Science, 21, 1777–1782.

Rudder, Christian. (July 28, 2014). We experiment on human beings! OkTrends: Dating Research from OkCupid. Retrieved from http://blog.okcupid.com/index.php/page/2/

Sheppard, Leah D.; Goffin, Richard D.; Lewis, Rhys J.; & Olson, James. (2011). The effect of target attractiveness and rating method on the accuracy of trait ratings. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 10(1), 24–33.

Smith, Aaron., & Duggan, Maeve. (October 21, 2013). Online dating and relationships. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/21/online-dating-relationships/

Smith, Eliot R., & Collins, Elizabeth C. (2009). Contextualizing person perception: Distributed social cognition. Psychological Review, 116, 343–364.

FAQ

What is Think Like a Scientist?
Think Like a Scientist is a digital activity designed to help you develop your scientific thinking skills. Each activity places you in a different, real-world scenario, asking you to think critically about a specific claim.

Can instructors track your progress in Think Like a Scientist?
Scores from the five-question assessments at the end of each activity can be reported to your instructor. To ensure your privacy while participating in non-assessment features, which can include pseudoscientific quizzes or games, no other student response is saved or reported.

How is Think Like a Scientist aligned with the APA Guidelines 2.0?
The American Psychological Association’s “Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major” provides a set of learning goals for students. Think Like a Scientist addresses several of these goals, although it is specifically designed to develop skills from APA Goal 2: Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking. “Online Dating” covers many outcomes, including:

  • Interpret, design, and conduct basic psychological research: Define and explain the purpose of key research concepts that characterize psychological research [identify independent and dependent variables in a study]
  • Use scientific reasoning to interpret psychological phenomena: Ask relevant questions to gather more information about behavioral claims [consider alternative explanations offered by psychology research]

12.2 Introduction

This activity invites you to explore claims about how we judge online dating profiles. First, you’ll review several online dating profiles and rate each of them. Next, you’ll examine evidence from a study that the online dating site OkCupid conducted on their members. Then you’ll consider alternative explanations for the OkCupid findings by examining psychology research on person perception. Finally, you’ll look at the source of the data—an online, for-profit company—and ask questions about the potential for bias in this type of research.

12.3 Identify the Claim

1

Identify the Claim

12.3.1 Have You Tried Online Dating?

Online dating is increasingly popular. About 40% of those who describe themselves as “single and looking” have tried online dating (Smith & Duggan, 2013). As the graph below shows, online dating has become a more and more acceptable way to meet someone.

Psychology research has told us a lot about factors that affect which people we’re attracted to in real life settings. Now that research is helping us understand which people we’re attracted to online. If you have an online dating profile, you know firsthand how you evaluate potential dates. But even if you’ve never tried online dating, you probably have a sense of what you’d look for. In the next set of screens, you’ll get a chance to rate some profiles.

12.3.2 Rating Online Dating Profiles

hockenbury_tls_ch12_online_dating_profiles

Now it’s time to rate some fictional online profiles. Select whether you prefer to rate men or women by clicking on one of the two images below.

Flashon Studio/Shutterstock

Rate him to continue.

Olga Bogatyrenko/Shutterstock

Rate her to continue.

12.3.3 Rate the First Dating Profile

Rate this man in terms of looks and personality. (You can see a larger version of the profile by clicking on it.)

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

Olga Bogatyrenko/Shutterstock; Heidi van der Westhuizen/Getty Images; Hande Guleryuz Yuce/Getty Images; Wilson Valentin/Getty Images

Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

Flashon Studio/Shutterstock; Pawel Gaul/Getty Images; Daniel Bendjy/Getty Images; Iain Sarjeant/Getty Images

Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

12.3.4 Rate the Second Dating Profile

hockenbury_tls_ch12_online_dating_profiles

Rate this man in terms of looks and personality. (You can see a larger version of the profile by clicking on it.)

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

Stuart Monk/Shutterstock; Todd Klassy/Shutterstock; Floortie/Getty Images; david franklin/Getty Images

Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

michaeljung/Shutterstock; Daniel Bendjy/Getty Images; rich legg/Getty Images; Heidi Kristensen/Getty Images

Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

12.3.5 Rate the Third Dating Profile

hockenbury_tls_ch12_online_dating_profiles

Rate this man in terms of looks and personality. (You can see a larger version of the profile by clicking on it.)

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

aastock/Shutterstock; Maxim Bolotnikov/Getty Images; Antonio Diaz/Getty Images; Boris Katsman/Getty Images Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

Maridav/Shutterstock; DimasEKB/Shutterstock; simply creative photography/Getty Images; snapphoto/Getty Images Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

12.3.6 Rate the Fourth Dating Profile

hockenbury_tls_ch12_online_dating_profiles

Rate this man in terms of looks and personality. (You can see a larger version of the profile by clicking on it.)

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

LOOKS


PERSONALITY

PathDoc/Shutterstock; nautilis_shell_studios/Getty Images; Todd Keith/Getty Images; Jim Jurica/Getty Images

Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

Dundanim/Shutterstock; Arthur Carlo Franco/Getty Images' Massimo Merlini/Getty Images; Gregor Inkret/Getty Images Licensed Material is being used for illustrative purposes only; person depicted in the licensed Material is a model.

12.3.7 Determining Personality Rating

You just rated four people for looks and personality based on their online dating profiles. Now, in a couple of sentences, explain how you determined the personality rating for the four profiles. What was your general strategy for how you judged these people’s personalities?

Question

snByA+gbH414Bn9ZPCHnGz5j+bJaRyfVU0UDU1U0BNJsReHmhwRRqokvbDf6tLrxGm9FkMaPPcTU2gfIR5eBEw==
Did you notice that two of the profiles you rated had very little personal information, while the other two had a fairly extensive self-description? Yet, all four profiles included a photo. If there wasn’t much text, you may have felt no choice but to use the photo when judging personality. In that case, did the person’s attractiveness influence how you rated his or her personality? On the other hand, while judging personality, did you consider the photo or ignore it when there was a lot of text?

12.3.8 Identifying the Claim

Based on your experience rating these four dating profiles, let’s identify a claim about the use of photos—and perhaps attractiveness—in assessing the personality of people based on their online dating profiles.

Question 12.1

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
This is the claim you identified: People consider attractiveness when rating someone’s personality even if there is other information available. Next, let’s think like a scientist and evaluate the evidence!
This is the claim you identified: People consider attractiveness when rating someone’s personality only if there isn’t other information available. Next, let’s think like a scientist and evaluate the evidence!
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12.4 Evaluate the Evidence

2

Evaluate the Evidence

12.4.1 "We Experiment on Human Beings!"

hockenbury_tls_ch12_online_dating_slide13

It turns out that a major online dating company, OkCupid, tested your claim—that people rely on attractiveness when rating personality only if there isn’t other information available (Rudder, 2013). In fact, if you used OkCupid in 2013, you may have been in this experiment! Let’s look at what they did.

A blog post titled “We Experiment on Human Beings!” summarized the results of several experiments that were conducted on the site’s users. In its earlier years, OkCupid allowed for separate ratings of looks and personality, just as you saw in the profiles you rated. Data from those early profiles showed that ratings of looks and ratings of personality were strongly related. The graph shows the highly positive correlation of the two ratings for each profile. Almost without exception, the looks and personality scores were no more than a half point apart.

12.4.2 The OkCupid Study, Part I

Now OkCupid has one overall rating scale. After all, there’s no point in separating scores for looks and personality if they’re pretty much identical. So, OkCupid conducted an experiment on the new single scale to test whether people rate profiles based only on the photo, while ignoring any text. To test this idea, OkCupid hid a profile’s text half of the time so only the photo was available. The other half of the time, they showed the whole profile—text and photo.

Question 12.2

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
Correct! The independent variable was type of profile (photo only, or photo and text). The researchers manipulated the type of profile through random assignment, so that profiles were shown with the photo only or with both the photo and the text.
Actually, the answer is A. The independent variable was type of profile (photo only, or photo and text). The researchers manipulated the type of profile through random assignment, so that profiles were shown with the photo only or with both the photo and the text.

Question 12.3

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
That is correct! The dependent variable was each profile’s overall rating for each condition. The researchers wondered whether the overall rating would depend on the type of profile: photo only, or photo and text.
Actually, the answer is B. The dependent variable was each profile’s overall rating for each condition. The researchers wondered whether the overall rating would depend on the type of profile: photo only, or photo and text.

12.4.3 The OkCupid Study, Part II

hockenbury_tls_ch12_online_dating_slide15

If your OkCupid profile was used in this study, it received two scores—one for your full profile and one for your profile with just the photo (no text). Earlier, you hypothesized that people only took the photo into account when judging personality if that was the only piece of information. Turns out that’s not the case.

You can see the findings in this graph. The ratings were basically the same with or without the text. Here’s OKCupid co-founder and researcher, Christian Rudder's, take-away from the OkCupid experiment: “So, your picture is worth that fabled thousand words, but your actual words are worth . . . almost nothing” (Rudder, 2013).

12.5 Consider Alternative Explanations

3

Consider Alternative Explanations

12.5.1 Why Do We Use Looks to Judge Personality?

According to Rudder, the site’s users viewed looks and personality as “the same thing, which of course makes perfect sense because, you know, this young female account holder, with a 99th percentile personality … and whose profile, by the way, contained no text, is just so obviously a really cool person” (Rudder, 2013).

This snarky example makes fun of the fact that most of us are fine using just a photo to judge a stranger’s personality. The researcher’s sarcasm suggests that we don’t really care about personality as long as someone is attractive. But thinking like a scientist requires us to consider alternative explanations.

Serg Zastavkin/Shutterstock

12.5.2 Alternative Explanation #1

Alternative explanation #1: We believe in a link between looks and personality. The researcher’s explanation for the fact that we judge personality based on looks seems to be that we don’t really care about personality. But there are other possible explanations, as we learned in the chapter on social psychology. For example, research shows that people tend to believe that more attractive people actually have better personalities than less attractive people, which is known as the “what is beautiful is good” stereotype (Lorenzo & others, 2010). In fact, movies and TV shows often use this stereotype to quickly cue an audience to a character’s role. Even if you know nothing about the Harry Potter or Hunger Games series, you can probably guess that Lord Voldemort (the top photo) is evil, and you can probably guess just from their looks that Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark (the bottom photo) are good.

Warner Brothers/Everett Collection
Color Force / The Kobal Collection

12.5.3 Alternative Explanation #2

hockenbury_tls_ch12_change_feedback

Alternative explanation #2: There really is a link between looks and personality. The stereotype that “what is beautiful is good” might be true. Research shows that attractive people actually tend to have more positive personality traits than average-looking people (Sheppard & others, 2011). Researchers believe this occurs because attractive people tend to receive more favorable treatment from others—parents, teachers, employers, and peers—based on their looks. It’s possible we have picked up on this pattern without being fully aware of it.

So, OkCupid’s research tells us that profiles are rated primarily based on the photo. And we have three competing explanations for that finding.

Question 12.4

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12.5.4 Not Hot? Don’t Worry!

A good scientist always remembers that any psychology finding is about groups, not any one specific person. So, on average, more attractive people might have more positive personality traits than less attractive people. But there are always individual differences—people who don’t fit the group pattern. We can all think of plenty of people who aren’t widely considered attractive, but who are funny or cool – such as Lena Dunham or Zach Galifianakis (pictured below). And there are plenty of highly attractive people who are difficult to be around. For example, good-looking actors and actresses like Russell Crowe, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez (pictured below), and Christian Bale are notoriously difficult to work with on set.

Warner Brothers/The Kobal Collection
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

12.5.5 First Impressions Don’t Always Last

The good news for those of us who fall short of Hollywood standards of beauty: First impressions don’t always last. If we can get to the stage of meeting someone in person, we adjust our perceptions as we get to know that person better (Smith & Collins, 2009). And even in dating profiles, we can adjust perceptions—without having to meet someone in person. When researchers showed a photo paired with desirable personality traits, perceptions of physical attractiveness (on a scale from 1-10) increased for both women and men, as you can see in the graph (Lewandowski & others, 2007). The opposite occurred when researchers showed undesirable personality traits alongside a photo. Both women and men then found the person in the photo to be less attractive, as you can see in the graph.

12.6 Consider the Source of the Research or Claim

4

Consider the Source of the Research or Claim

12.6.1 OkCupid’s goal

When a for-profit company conducts research, always consider how this might influence their findings. Which of the following are likely reasons that OkCupid conducts experiments on their users?

Question 12.5

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Correct! "We Experiment on Human Beings!” is a provocative title and it worked. OkCupid’s research was picked up by media outlets around the world, which led many online users to the OkCupid site. Success!
Actually, this is a likely reason. "We Experiment on Human Beings!” is a provocative title and it worked. OkCupid’s research was picked up by media outlets around the world, which led many online users to the OkCupid site. Success!
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Question 12.6

Qnw/3ogz95WNPqKjgT/6cBsMrjN4HlrTalFRZbYYW92VKLGHeIMfvTpIaKoLZnKGOWofRHEVFYmVpEvYKRY+zIJ/FkxwUfpq0hVSlkUUOCvevbsWUHb7nN5E+fE1iMVKmtX/trVsoVs6y2A/GWnflEhSoliA5DAFZ1Ag3G7M3C2sS3S3SxRTLkDehhBlaFDce24DcpTKD1LBvj+2a7swi47OP0k2daaKQPHVjERx7sb8+TLJMSg7sjAltDfma4EITj/sbi1kyQe38D7wKBkf2SqRyCXtRuQyKScsOfjs2PO8gocPceBl0BF483HVCSnI1cwzjW8a086AZ9Qn
Correct! Here is how OkCupid described their primary reason for conducting this research: “OkCupid doesn’t really know what it’s doing. Experiments are how you sort all this out.”
Actually, this is a likely reason. Correct! Here is how OkCupid described their primary reason for conducting this research: “OkCupid doesn’t really know what it’s doing. Experiments are how you sort all this out.”
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Question 12.7

abURL+zIrUMMNGv3KxHhmCLpvIU9uHF4AbUEpW9ytqd8//7eGivfbg2vQ7maC7VTOhiuBP7RUoIXJyi+XHBC+Sn5bBVi6BzzEeJXFEOwXMnTD83wlhY6T9qYRTAqb3DuPI1gdIgZ3x1tUg4rvNSnCbH3chROduc2h8r4F8ilSgCl4O/1EpE6KA3CjeLtTujaErZajlr2s1ono5xLz9dM8NDjpqSLYST4lgsKYcj/43y5+vS8uQRVJY2ynDD1OpyYDXAz5IoLQI/YGT8TkoeS0x4zZJuY8ZFOfxpp20uNgi1b8TYVW2WST9Vipxjyn1/ZjRMvWtunglSinLf/cH2F0/wppouobJJU7HE8zfDW5r3qBHj5qrUGu8negh6rTGz/2VDu0WGlTiKhUjsbpHcZvQ==
Correct! There are no indications that OkCupid let outside researchers access their data.
Actually, this is not a likely reason. There are no indications that OkCupid let outside researchers access their data.
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12.6.2 When Money Is Involved, Ask More Questions

When money and research are involved together, think like a scientist and ask more questions. First, ask questions about ethics. Research conducted by people at for-profit companies is not always subject to important ethical safeguards. For example, ask whether participants have given informed consent, as well as how their data are stored and shared. For example, OkCupid users did not realize they participated in experiments.

Second, ask questions about peer review. OkCupid data didn’t use the gold standard of peer review; other scientists did not give their stamp of approval to this research. So, we need to ask whether these data fit with or conflict with existing science. In this case, the OkCupid data seem to fit with research on the “what is beautiful is good” stereotype. But they do not seem to fit with other research in which a photo plus a description of positive personality traits led to higher ratings of attractiveness than just a photo (Lewandowski & others, 2007). So, the full story of how we judge personality may be more subtle, and we probably don’t judge people’s personalities based just on their looks.

WIN-Initiative/Getty Images

12.7 Assessment

Assessment

12.7.1 Assessment

Question

dKDJHql3swx0U/mWy4BwobVnl13+Szfsem/KIfhdf1yqH0u29h4UDZgr74DPV+imqwqzRxrmrsFlfMAX3iKcwVI11vo2CzR1qHCTbfwUwgza13FLsDG2b9nLBKwDviaItKxbyp1aaTCEN3eyVk/nauYmH2kHKLlQ+a1RpJBATKZCAyRg5C5+S/kWoFx36Ea2F0JK56euyYm8GqnHQGbUlFjgjGt63IdG50LJ1irAw1/PMqWEpo51I2kT/q1Li/BXFgI46mGAoEFIxFfQKKmQmbPxUqt2ov1hMvTD9f+wCEYXwdn0sIJVf4rIIslOj0hvT6j7MW+2KigiOwuvOg/fiMHDU47DxZSYmcKd3A==
The correct answer is A. Person perception refers to the cognitive processes that guide how we form impressions of other people.

Question

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The correct answer is D. Correlational studies examine how closely two variables are related to each other—in this case, ratings of looks and personality.

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The correct answer is C. Researchers at OkCupid reported that ratings of looks and personality are highly correlated. These researchers believe that raters rely on people’s photos—and how attractive people are—when rating both looks and personality.

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The correct answer is B. For-profit research sometimes raises ethical concerns. For example, participants may not have provided informed consent, an indication that they are participating voluntarily. And they may not have received information about the study afterwards, a procedure known as debriefing.

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The correct answer is C because human behavior is messy. Psychological science can tell us about people on average, but there will always be some people who behave differently. Psychological research typically applies to groups rather than individuals.