What to write about yourself on a dating app to get noticed
A blank profile on a dating app can put off potential partners just as much as an overly candid account of oneself. This is the conclusion reached by psychologists who studied how the amount of personal information in a profile affects first impressions and interest in meeting someone.
The study showed that the most appealing profiles are those in which a person reveals a moderate amount about themselves: they do not limit themselves to a couple of general phrases, but neither do they turn their profile into a detailed autobiography.
What the researchers found
The researchers conducted three experiments to understand how the amount of personal information in a profile affects the attractiveness of a potential partner.
In the first experiment, participants were shown three versions of the same profile, differing only in the amount of information about the person.
The profile containing a moderate amount of information proved to be the most attractive. It was preferred by 52 per cent of participants, whilst 26 per cent chose the short profiles and 22 per cent opted for the overly detailed ones.
At the same time, more detailed profiles had virtually no effect on a person’s physical attractiveness. However, they did significantly alter perceptions of their personality.
People who shared a little more about themselves were more often perceived as open, sincere and looking for a serious relationship.
Why a blank profile loses out
According to the study’s authors, self-disclosure plays an important role in building trust between people.
If there is too little information, it creates the impression that the person is not interested in getting to know others or is deliberately hiding something.
On the other hand, an excessively long description can also work against the profile’s owner. A large amount of detail overwhelms the reader and leaves less room for further communication and getting to know one another.
This is precisely why the ‘golden mean’ approach has proved to be the most effective.
But there is an important nuance
During the third experiment, the researchers discovered an interesting feature.
When a profile explicitly stated a person’s intentions — for example, seeking a serious relationship or a brief romance — the ‘golden mean’ effect virtually disappeared.
In this case, detailed profiles were no longer perceived as a drawback. On the contrary, a large amount of information was more often seen as a sign of sincerity and a willingness to form an emotional bond.
This means that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for the perfect profile. How a profile is perceived depends not only on the amount of information provided, but also on the dating goals the person states.
The study has limitations
The authors note that their work was carried out in a laboratory setting.
Participants evaluated profiles specifically created by the researchers, rather than real user profiles from dating apps. Furthermore, the majority of volunteers were young people, so the results still need to be tested on a more diverse audience and using data from actual dating services.
Nevertheless, the study shows that first impressions depend not only on photographs, but also on exactly how a person describes themselves.
Why this matters
Today, millions of people start getting to know each other through dating apps, where the decision to ‘like’ a profile or send a message is often made in a matter of seconds.
The findings could help dating app developers create more effective prompts for filling out profiles, and help users realise that including a few specific details about themselves usually works better than a completely blank profile or an overly long description.
Source
The study was published in the journal Current Psychology.
Title: Too much information or not enough? How self-disclosure in online dating profiles influences attraction and relationship intentions.