Is Matchmaking a Science?

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a pleasant occasion, but for many single people it is only a painful reminder that there is a lack of love and romance in their lives.  A recent survey conducted in London, UK revealed that lots of people are single: in fact about half of Londoners between the ages of 20 and 59 seem to be unattached. Perhaps the intuitive powers of a matchmaker could be useful to pair people up, but some modern-day matchmaking services are using psychology as a more reliable way of determining who you should really be asking out on a date.

 

 

 Looking for romance? Many online dating web sites are using psychology to help people find a partner.

If you’re looking for love online, you will find that some web sites are turning to science. By visiting Nomorefrogs, eHarmony or Cybersuitors you will be asked to complete a psychometric test that will identify your personality traits. Tests on some of these sites are actually quite detailed – the test on eHarmony is comprised of 436 questions and asks for answers on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7, where you choose the amount you agree or disagree with the statement. The site also gives advice on how to initiate communication with a relationship prospect as well as counselling for married couples.

These dating sites are either founded by psychologists or work closely with them. Jane Spencer- Rolfe, who founded Nomorefrogs (www.nomorefrogs.com) seven years ago, says that she got her inspiration for the site after seeing how career recruitment companies use psychometric tests to find people their ideal career. She contacted a company that employs psychologists to create these tests, and they agreed to create one for her site that she could use to predict relationship compatibility. After a couple of months of validation work, where the psychologists assessed the test’s reliability and looked at whether it actually measured what it set out to measure, it was ready to be used on the site.