Study: Singles Prefer Balanced Matches Over Extreme Altruism
A recent study published in Evolutionary Psychological Science reveals that online dating profiles displaying moderate altruism receive the highest interest, outpacing those that emphasize either high or low levels of altruism. The findings suggest that while kindness is desirable in a romantic partner, profiles that overly highlight charitable activities may appear less attractive than those presenting a more balanced approach.
This ties back into the growing shift towards authentic dating experiences – users want somebody who’s genuinely altruistic and helpful, but not to the degree that it becomes hard to believe or an overwhelming detail. While this study only applied to altruism, the same attitudes likely apply to any positive traits, where a profile that excessively focuses on positive details will be overlooked in favour of a more balanced match.
Researchers Simran Dehal and Manpal Singh Bhogal from the University of Wolverhampton conducted the study, involving 180 participants aged 18 to 25. Participants evaluated three fictional dating profiles portraying varying levels of altruism – highly altruistic, moderately altruistic, and non-altruistic. Each profile was paired with corresponding message threads reflecting similar degrees of altruistic behavior.
When rating desirability on a five-point scale, participants consistently favored the moderately altruistic profiles for both short-term and long-term relationships. Highly altruistic profiles, while more appealing than non-altruistic ones, were rated second. The study indicates that, although people appreciate kindness, an overly self-promotional emphasis on altruism might appear inauthentic or excessive in a dating context.
For dating platforms, these insights could inform profile customization tools, guiding users to showcase a more balanced portrayal of their interests and values. This approach may improve match rates and user satisfaction by aligning profile content more closely with what daters find attractive – and could prompt users to create more balanced profiles by including fields for things like pet peeves or dislikes – which could be an important part of how profiles are scrutinized.
