Video: Are Romantic Matching Algorithms Possible?

“Is attraction predictable…where certain combinations of people’s traits and preferences predictably, reliably result in attraction? Or, is attraction chaotic…where we just don’t know when or where it’s going to show up?” – Dr. Samantha Joel

Eharmony and other popular online dating sites promise to help users find compatible romantic partners through the use of specialized matching algorithms. These services were founded on the idea that romantic attraction is something that is both rational and predictable. But is that really the case?

According to the TEDx talk below by my colleague Dr. Samantha Joel, maybe not. Joel reviews a series of studies suggesting that we may not necessarily be able to predict in advance whether any two given people are likely to make a good match. She also suggests that, when it comes to online dating, we tend to focus too much on choosing the right person and not enough on building the right kind of relationship. Check out the full video to learn more.

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Image Source: 123RF/Andriy Popov

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