Re-examining relational pursuit and mate selection in online dating

Having too many online dating options has been theorized to hamper relational pursuit by making people choosier and ponder their options. However, daters do not make a choice just by comparing the value of their mates – they also consider how they will be evaluated by these mates and adapt behaviors accordingly. Therefore, being exposed to a larger option set may instead enhance relational pursuit outcomes by facilitating a compatible match and altering perception of one’s own value in the market. We examined these possibilities in two preregistered experiments (N_S1 = 193; N_S2 = 342) where people chose a match from thirty-one (high-option) or six profiles (low-option) to go on a date with. High-option participants reported greater relational pursuit with their choice than low-option participants; match compatibility or similarity mediated this effect. The effect of option quantity appears less certain than once considered and warrants future investigation from diverse theoretical perspectives.

摘要 

关于在线约会中选项过多的问题, 既有理论认为, 过多的潜在对象会使人变得更加挑剔并反复权衡选择, 从而阻碍关系追求。然而, 约会者在做出选择时, 并非仅仅比较潜在伴侣本身的价值, 还会考虑自己将如何被这些伴侣评价, 并据此调整自身行为。因此, 接触到更大的选择集合, 反而可能通过促进更为契合的匹配, 并改变个体对自身在约会市场中价值的认知, 来提升关系追求的结果。我们通过两项预注册实验检验了上述可能性 (N_S1 = 193; N_S2 = 342) 。在实验中, 被试需要从三十一份 (高选项条件) 或六份 (低选项条件) 的个人资料中选择一位约会对象。结果显示, 与低选项条件相比, 高选项条件的被试在其所选择对象上报告了更强的关系追求意愿; 匹配契合度或相似性在其中发挥了中介作用。总体而言, 选项数量对关系追求的影响并不像以往认为的那样确定, 这一问题有必要在未来研究中从多元的理论视角加以进一步探讨。