Scientists Determine that People on eHarmony Want to Get Married
How do you date successfully? Some might say it's only when you stop dating, a/k/a, find someone and settle down, or whatever people do. Others might say that it's as simple as going on a good date, or learning something from the experience, even if it's bad. Free-living caddish types and those who adore them may pin it all on sex. Now science has decided to ponder this question with a focus on online dating, and we thank them, in part because their findings can help us justify our oft maligned behaviors. "According to Drexel researchers, marriage isn't the only measure of success among people looking for love in cyberspace." Oh no?
The researchers (who had themselves done a bit of online dating) looked at an assortment of "success stories" on Match.com, eHarmony, and OkCupid. They found that "success," according to 84 percent of eHarmony users, was marriage (not surprisingly). But! Less than half of the success stories on Match.com were about marriage, and "only 23 percent of the success stories on OkCupid were about marriage" (there were fewer stories of engagement there, too.)
Scientifically speaking:
"What we found in our research confirmed some of our experiences and anecdotal evidence, that certain dating sites fostered certain cultures and the range of success stories indicated as much," Mascaro said. "Our findings also indicate that even with the proliferation of technologically and mediated social networking sites, real world social networks still play a significant role in technological adoption and mate selection."
Anecdotally speaking:
OkCupid and Match.com are the places to find your 2012 hookup.
Related: The Best (and Worst) Days for Online Dating in NYC in 2011, According to Data From OkCupid
Looking For Love: Drexel Researchers Put Online Dating to the Test [Newswise]
[JDoll / @thisisjendoll]
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