Nudgestock2018: The Psychology Behind Online Dating
OGILVY.CO.UK – May 24 – Internet dating can be a total minefield at times. From how to represent ourselves in a bio to getting that first date. Ogilvy caught up with online dating expert Mark Brooks, CEO at Internet Dating Excellence Association, to find out more about the psychology behind Internet dating, ahead of his talk at Nudgestock 2018.
Q: If your Nudgestock talk were a Tinder bio, what would it say?
A: Virgin Industry Seeks Virgin Science – Relatively young and boisterous industry with big promise and big attitude seeks calming, sensible but sexy, not-quite-so-young-companion in new science.
Q: How can we use behavioural science to optimize our online dating profiles?
A: Context matters in behavioral science. Change the context, and you may well see different behaviors.
Q: What is the one thing anyone who is using online dating should be doing in terms of psychology?
A: Keep in mind the ‘halo effect.’ If you write a short-ish profile, and include a few things that you’re super passionate about, you’ll probably be optimizing your profile quite well for halo effect. People viewing your profile will see the things you like, and if they like them as well, will tend to mentally favorably ‘fill in the gaps’ on missing parts of your profile. If you write a long and detailed profile, and people see a couple things they don’t like, they’ll be less forgiving, and more likely to pass you over.
Q: Are there any trends we should be watching out for this year in this field?
A: Watch out for Facebook Dating. If you’re attending Nudgestock this year, come to see my talk and learn why…
Final tickets are available for Nudgestock 2018, Ogilvy’s annual festival of behavioural science, taking place on June 8th.
