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from the I-was-using-the-wrong-colour-all-along dept.
Rachel Nuwer writes in the New York Times that Dr. Sameer Chaudhry’s online dating persona was garnering no response from the women he reached out to so he synthesized 86 literature studies on the subject of online dating in the fields of psychology, sociology, and computer, behavioral, and neurocognitive sciences.in hopes of improving his odds. As it turns out, success begins with picking a user name. While men are drawn to names linked to physical traits (e.g., Cutie), the researchers found, women prefer ones that indicate intelligence (e.g., Cultured). Both sexes respond well to playful names (e.g. Fun2bwith) and shy away from ones with negative connotations (e.g., Bugg).
User names that begin with letters from the first half of the alphabet do better than those from the latter half. “As human beings, we have a tendency to give things at the top of a pile more value,” says Khan. As for your profile photo, pick a photo with a genuine smile, one that crinkles the eyes, and with a slight head tilt (it’s linked to attractiveness). And if you’re looking for a male partner, go for that photo of you in siren red—a color that enhances men's attraction to women.
"For those attracted to browse into the profile, a description of personal traits increased likeability when it: showed who the dater was and what they were looking for in a 70:30 ratio; stayed close to reality; and employed simple language with humor added. Invitations were most successful in obtaining a response from the potential date when they: were short personalized messages addressing a trait in their profile; rhymed with their screen name or headline message; and extended genuine compliments." And finally, don't wait too long before arranging a face to face meeting.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Sunday February 22 2015, @05:54PM
Evidence-based dating and somehow there seems to be a clear lack of data or evidence. For all we know, from the article, the author scored one date and that is the one he took to Rome. So for being an article based on a paper submitted to the BMJ, or at least one of it's sub-publications (evidence-based medicine --- dating is now medicine?) there is a distinct lack of data to support this theory. The paper is naturally hidden behind a pay-wall, insuring that nobody beyond the world of academia will ever read it and very few in academia will bother either, and the entire article seems to be written on the basis of the presented abstract. Quality journalism right there. Perhaps there is some actual evidence in the paper itself but quite frankly it seems to be a-grade fluff so I don't see why anyone would bother.