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Online Dating: Shawn and Cheryl Eharmony Success Story

The document discusses different alternatives to traditional dating such as speed dating, which allows people to quickly meet many potential partners and determine compatibility based on both observable qualities and chemistry. Speed dating offers a low-commitment and efficient way to screen for both observable and latent compatibility factors in a partner. While not perfect, these alternative dating methods provide options beyond online dating or relying on friends and family to set people up.

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Fanny Sylvia C.
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
352 views

Online Dating: Shawn and Cheryl Eharmony Success Story

The document discusses different alternatives to traditional dating such as speed dating, which allows people to quickly meet many potential partners and determine compatibility based on both observable qualities and chemistry. Speed dating offers a low-commitment and efficient way to screen for both observable and latent compatibility factors in a partner. While not perfect, these alternative dating methods provide options beyond online dating or relying on friends and family to set people up.

Uploaded by

Fanny Sylvia C.
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Online Dating

“The intangible factors that are


essential to any successful
relationship were right on
target. Traditional dating
involves pursuing someone with
whom there is chemistry to see
if these intangible factors are
right. Too often, even if these
internal compatibilities are all
wrong, it is easy to rationalize
that they don’t matter that
much as long as the chemistry
is strong. eHarmony provided
Shawn and Cheryl
the security of making sure that
eHarmony Success Story
the internal compatibilities
were there, and we were able
Papers

Fisman, Iyengar, Kamenica, Simonson


2. “Searching for a Mate:
Evidence from a Speed Dating
Experiment,” August 2005.
3. “Racial Preferences in Dating,” June
2006.
Experimental Study Design
at Columbia
 18-42 Columbia University undergraduate
and graduate students per cycle.
 Students signed up and filled out a pre-
event survey.
 Conducted in a private room at popular
bar/restaurant near campus.
 Format based on Hurry Date, largest
speed dating service in NYC at the time.
Pre-event Survey
 Self-ratings (later compared with other
people’s ratings)
 Undergraduate institution
 ZIP code where you grew up
 Field of study
 From which part of world
 Race
Format
 Pairs sit across from each other at small
square table.
 Clipboard, pen, nametag with ID.
 Four minute to decide.
 Scorecard!
 Fill out follow-up questionaire
 Match results
Scorecard
ID: ________________
Circle one: YES / NO
Attractive…………. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Sincere…………… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Intelligent………… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fun……………….. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Ambitious………… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Shared Interests… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PREFERENCES

Q1: Do I like you?


Q2: Do you like me?
Women prefer Men dig women
men who are… who are…
 Physically
 Intelligent
Attractive
 Of the same race
 Smart and ambitious…
 From wealthy
just not as much as
neighborhoods
they are
 Likely to make lots of $
 Of high social status
 Ambitious

EQUAL SOCIAL VALUE


“Should Hillary Pretend to Be a Flight
Attendant?” Maureen Dowd
“Perhaps smart women can
take hope — as long as they’re
built like Marilyn Monroe.
Scientists at the University of
California, Santa Barbara, and
the University of Pittsburgh
have released a zany study on
the zaftig, positing that men
are drawn to hourglass figures
not only because they look
alluring, but because hips
plumped up by omega-3 fatty
acids could mean smarter
women bearing smarter kids.”
Race … THE QUESTIONS
 Who drives racial preferences?
 What drives it?
 Do people prefer partners of the same race as
the most prevalent race(s) in the neighborhood
in which they grew up?
 Do racial attitudes in your hometown affect your
tolerance for partners of a different race way in
the future?
 Are there ways to depress racial preferences?
Race… THE ASYMMETRY
 Women of all races  Men of no race exhibit
strongly prefer men of significant same-race
the same race. preferences.
• Older subjects care less about race
• More shared interests with people of the same
race.
• Racial preferences weaker if subjects asked to
bring in a favorite book or magazine.
Race … THE ANSWERS
1. Who drives racial 1. Women
preferences?
2. What drives it? 3. Shared interests (not
3. Do people prefer captured by survey
partners of the same
race as the most 5. No. Familiarity
prevalent race(s) in the decreases tolerance
neighborhood in which
they grew up?
4. Do racial attitudes in 7. Yes. Racial attitudes
your hometown affect lower tolerance.
your tolerance for
partners of a different
race way in the future?
Selectivity

(Who’s more picky?)


SMALL GROUP
WOMEN are just as selective as MEN

LARGE GROUP
WOMEN become more selective than MEN.
In-Person
Dating Markets
The Real World

 At the Job
 Synagogue
 Your parent’s house
 Your best friend’s
Christmas party
Dating at Harvard
To: Fanny & Jared <[email protected]>,
date: Nov 14, 2007 10:09 AM
Subject: Re: invitation to dinner tonight

you think there will be so


much to say about harvard
dating and its failure to exist
that you will need > 2 hours?
or the thought of harvard
dating will make you lose your
appetite?
Upgrade from online or real-life dating

From an efficiency standpoint, speed-dating


offers the best of both worlds.
Low-commitment
Preferences for observable and
unobservable qualities.
 Observables
 height, race, physical attractiveness, style of dress.
 Unobservables
 chemistry, personality, charisma.
I-Date
It’s Just Lunch
“It's Just Lunch was founded by a Chicago woman
whose engagement was called off. Finding herself
suddenly single, she began the tedious search to
meet "normal", well-educated professionals. Her
friends sent her out on blind dates, she tried
personal ads, contemplated the internet and dating
services, but she wasn't comfortable with any of
these options. The ideal date, she decided, was a
lunch date or a drink after work. A fun, laid back,
stress-free way to meet!”
Lock and Key Parties
“Activity is one of the best tips for singles. If you're used to
arriving at a party and getting stuck with the world's biggest
bore with bad breath for hours, then lock and keys might be
the answer for you. It's not kinky, the formula works as a
simple ice-breaker and helps party-goers to relax. Girls get
given a lock and boys a key. You then mingle with the
crowd and men ask if they can 'unlock you'! It's the perfect
conversation opener, and a good escape too.”

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/relationships/dating/dategam
e
Good luck!

(our success rate is 95%)

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