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- Title
Do Online Matchmaking Tests Work? An Assessment of Preliminary Evidence for a Publicized 'Predictive Model of Marital Success'
- Authors
Houran, James; Lange, Rense; Rentfrow, P. Jason; Bruckner, Karin H.
- Abstract
Acceptance of online matchmaking as a culturally legitimate approach to mate selection - and consumer spending on these services - continues to rise. However, online matchmakers' escalating claims that their services derive from scientific methods remain questionable because solid empirical evidence for such claims is rarely offered. Unfortunately, even when available, the quality of such evidence leaves much to be desired due to conceptual as well as technical problems. Such issues are illustrated here by a detailed analysis of an instructive case study of an attempt to validate aspects of the commercial eHarmony.com dating service. Apart from identifying serious logical flaws that invalidate the case study's conclusions, additional shortcomings are identified related to the involved variables, research design, and sampling biases. Because such issues almost certainly play a role in online dating and related research, the paper concludes with a discussion of modern test construction approaches derived from Item Response Theory, and Rasch scaling in particular, that can be used to identify and sometimes correct many of the problems described here. Online dating services must solve many of the problems outlined here to remain a viable and acceptable area of practice and research.
- Publication
North American Journal of Psychology, 2004, Vol 6, Issue 3, p507
- ISSN
1527-7143
- Publication type
Academic Journal