In This Article
30-Second Summary
Headline Links: The ‘science’ of online dating
Background: Internet matchmakers wage ad wars
Key Players: The heads of eHarmony and Chemistry.com
Reactions: ‘Consumers Looking for Love Need to be on the Lookout’
Related Topics: Online dating in China and India and Internet dating safety
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Looking for the Perfect Love Algorithm
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A booming Internet dating industry sends academics on a quest for the best matchmaking algorithm. But complaints about online dating agencies are on the rise.
30-Second Summary
The questionnaires used by online dating companies contain vast quantities of data that matchmakers use to pair potential partners.
But these matches do not just happen, most companies use their own preferred algorithms to determine which shared traits indicate a potential for romantic chemistry.
These algorithms are based on psychological and anthropological research. In fact, the heads of the two largest online dating companies—eHarmony and Chemistry.com—are a clinical psychologist and an anthropologist, respectively.
But their methodologies have yet to be published for peer review. So despite their academic backing, none of these companies can claim to have the scientific key to finding love.
Nonetheless, online dating is a multimillion-dollar business. The big U.S. companies are doing so well that they may expand to India and China, where arranged marriages are part of the culture and there are millions of young, single people.
However, a growing number of U.S. customers are filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau. In 2006, complaints rose by nearly 75 percent. Poor customer service and bad matches are among the top criticisms.
The rivalry among the companies is also heated. Last year Chemistry.com ran ads about eHarmony rejecting potential clients, specifically homosexuals. Those attacks led to a huge increase in the number of gay and lesbian registrants at Chemistry.com.
But these matches do not just happen, most companies use their own preferred algorithms to determine which shared traits indicate a potential for romantic chemistry.
These algorithms are based on psychological and anthropological research. In fact, the heads of the two largest online dating companies—eHarmony and Chemistry.com—are a clinical psychologist and an anthropologist, respectively.
But their methodologies have yet to be published for peer review. So despite their academic backing, none of these companies can claim to have the scientific key to finding love.
Nonetheless, online dating is a multimillion-dollar business. The big U.S. companies are doing so well that they may expand to India and China, where arranged marriages are part of the culture and there are millions of young, single people.
However, a growing number of U.S. customers are filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau. In 2006, complaints rose by nearly 75 percent. Poor customer service and bad matches are among the top criticisms.
The rivalry among the companies is also heated. Last year Chemistry.com ran ads about eHarmony rejecting potential clients, specifically homosexuals. Those attacks led to a huge increase in the number of gay and lesbian registrants at Chemistry.com.
Headline Links: The ‘science’ of online dating
Scientists are working for online dating services to perfect the matchmaking algorithm. Though the vast number of subscribers has given them tons of data to study, the research has not been published. The lack of peer review and transparency has made some academics suspicious. An eHarmony researcher said he wants to protect the algorithm’s specifics, but publish the research. Helen Fisher, a researcher working on her own algorithm at Chemistry.com, said she plans to publish everything.
Source: New York Times
Background: Internet matchmakers wage ad wars
Online dating service eHarmony complained to the Better Business Bureau about Chemistry.com’s assertion that their services “predict which single men and women you’ll have a relationship and dating chemistry with.” The bureau’s ad council agreed that the statement was overreaching.
Source: The Motley Fool
After Chemistry.com ran ads about people who were rejected from eHarmony, the site saw a 200 percent increase in the number of gay and lesbian subscribers. The ads first appeared in May 2007, followed by more at the end of the year. “After we launched our ‘Rejected’ campaign, people thanked us. They said it was long-overdue. Based on the overwhelming response, we thought it was an important message to continue to disseminate,” said Mandy Ginsberg, General Manager of Chemistry at Chemistry.com, told Web site AfterElton.com.
Source: AfterElton.com
Key Players: The heads of eHarmony and Chemistry.com
Clinical psychologist Dr. Neil Clark Warren
Clinical psychologist Dr. Neil Clark Warren founded eHarmony in 2000. The agency describes itself as “the first relationship service on the Web to use a scientific approach to match highly compatible singles.” eHarmony now also offers online marriage guidance.
Source: eHarmony
Anthropologist Helen Fisher
Helen Fisher, a Rutgers University anthropologist, authored Chemistry.com’s algorithm. Her biological approach to matchmaking contrasts with Warren's more psychological method. According to the Chemistry.com Web site, Fisher has found that among other factors, people “gravitate to those who are somewhat different biologically. Probably for a genetic reason—to produce more genetic variety in our offspring.”
Source: Chemistry.com
Reactions: ‘Consumers Looking for Love Need to be on the Lookout’
As consumer spending on online matchmaking rises, so have complaints about the services. In 2006, the complaints rose to 2,525, an increase of 73 percent over 2005. Many people complained that the dates they were matched to didn’t meet the criteria they set. Nearly 30 percent of the complaints concerned “poor or rude customer service” or “high pressure sales tactics.” The Better Business Bureau warns people to not be fooled by advertising, to check a service’s record with the bureau, ignore the sales tactics, and to make sure an online dating company stops billing when a contract ends.
Source: The Better Business Bureau
Related Topics: Online dating in China and India and Internet dating safety
Online dating sites are looking to enter markets where third-party matchmaking is common, such as India and China. eHarmony is conducting cultural research, while Chemistry.com has a 56-question test that resident anthropologist Helen Fisher says is applicable to any culture. China has a large potential market, with 60 million online users who are of marrying age. India appears equally promising, with the sale of online services reaching $30 million in 2006.
Source: Time
Safer Online Dating Alliance has a number of tips to stay safe while dating online. These include safe ways to manage profiles and what to do when meeting someone in person. The site states that users should be careful about how much identifying information they offer in their profile. When going on a date, users should make sure friends and family know where they are going, who they are meeting and when they expect to return.
Source: Safer Online Dating Alliance
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