(Online Dating Industry Journal) In his latest "Office Hours with Dr. Jim" column, Dr. James Houran answers the following question from a reader: "Aren’t 'compatibility tests' useless because they don’t predict physical attraction between people?"
What follows is a discussion of compatibility tests, science, love, and attraction; as well as some of Dr. James Houran's own research.
You can read the column here.
Joe's Comments:
If an "attraction algorithm" can ever be properly developed and implemented then it could go a long way to improving user results quicker. The big question is, do mainstream online dating services really want to improve that experience and end their paying relationship sooner?
Guess what, Joe? An attraction algorithm can never be developed. Why? Because people process questions differently, and language is to squiggly & soft to ever be counted upon to measure something so specific and peculiar as "chemistry." Can't be done. You heard it here. It's always fun to take the personality tests though, because they are about "us" -- our favorite subject.
Check out my new dating site, and see some of the alternatives to personality tests that we've come up with for finding a likely match.
Posted by: Charla | April 12, 2007 at 01:50 PM
Hi all,
Actually, proper analytics (grounded in modern test theory) are routinely used to detect response biases to specific questions in surveys and assessments -- in other words to determine which test questions are interpreted the same by people irrespective of the demographics of the readers.
Thus, well made and validated compatibility tests are not too "squiggly and soft to be counted on." Of course, such tests are likely to be few and far between at the moment.
Thanks,
James Houran, Ph.D.
Online Dating Magazine
Posted by: James Houran | April 27, 2007 at 01:13 PM