Matchmaking businesses and dating websites often claim that they can find our perfect match based on the right combination of traits and preferences.
But what if they were wrong?
Can data on traits and preferences really find our perfect partner?
A new study uses machine learning to test how well such measures predict people’s overall tendencies to romantically desire other people and to be desired by other people.
In two speed-dating studies, participants filled out a questionnaire on more than a 100 traits and preferences that past researchers had identified as being relevant to the selection of a partner.
Each participant then met each opposite sex partner in a 4 minute speed date.
The participants rated their interactions including their level of sexual attraction and interest in each person they met.
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The researchers used cutting edge machine learning algorithm to test whether it was possible to predict romantic desire based on the participant’s responses before they met with people of the opposite sex.
What they found was that it was possible to predict the overall tendency for someone to like and to be liked by others but they could not find any two people who were a match.
Dating can come with a whole range of hassles and heartache and it would be a great idea if a machine could help us avoid that and produce a perfect match for us based on all the information we provide, but according to this study, it does not work this way.
While dating sites help us narrow the field by matching similar traits and personalities, we still can’t avoid the process of physically meeting potential partners and finding out how we feel about them.
That’s the only way to find our perfect mate!
Source: Psychological Science
