Experts have determined the choice to "swipe right" is more complicated than some might think.
With the rise in popularity of online dating websites and mobile applications, people are "swiping right," or expressing interest in an individual, based on much more than simple physical attraction. People have different behavior and tactics while looking for love online.
One study published in September 2014 to OkTrends, was done by data experts over the course of five years and looked at how people interacted on the dating site OkCupid. The researchers found that a variety of factors, from age to camera quality, affected users’ decisions to reach out to others.
Stephanie Tikkanen, an assistant professor of communication studies, said the picture quality and the kinds of pictures people choose to post on their dating site profiles can be seen as indicators of personality. If a picture is fuzzy, she said, it might seem as though the person is trying to hide something.
“I think there is a sort of bias against narcissism,” she said. “If people are taking selfies … I think that sort of implies something about their personality. A candid photo seems to be a little more natural and less self-centered.”
Shelby Baker, a senior studying marketing, used the dating app Tinder before he “matched” with his current girlfriend. He said when he used the app, he looked for smiling, candid photos but was skeptical when pictures looked too high-quality.
“When it comes to picture quality, if they’re too high quality, it makes me suspicious,” he said “If you have all professional photos on there, I’m going to think, ‘that’s a bot.’ More candid pictures makes me more inclined to match with (them).”
Another OkCupid study looked at the trend of who initiates conversations more often, finding that despite some women’s progressive views on dating, such as splitting the check for a date, men are still more likely to make the first move.
However, Stout Van Wey, a sophomore studying sociology criminology and African American studies, said he never messages his Tinder matches first.
“I never message girls first,” he said. “I don’t have the confidence.”
Because men are expected to initiate flirting, Tikkanen said women can be more selective when choosing to respond to a specific "match" or individual.
“On these sites, some of the research shows that men take this shotgun approach and just send a whole lot of messages to a whole lot of women,” she said. “They don’t get as many replies, and it’s so easy to not reply on these sites.”
Mashable also found certain professions, depending on the city, yield more matches than others on Tinder. For example, the most right-swiped, or matched, profession for men on Tinder in Indianapolis is a paramedic. In Nashville, it is an attorney.
Tikkanen said contrary to some beliefs, people are not solely attracted to others’ professions based on income. There are other implications that come with certain professions.
“I think that your profession speaks to certain personality traits, too, not just how much money you make,” she said. “People might be attracted to a paramedic because they like to play the damsel in distress.”
Some Ohio University students find themselves most eager to match when the person in question is studying or working in a field similar to their own.
Alexis Ziemak, a sophomore studying chemistry pre-med, said before she started dating her current boyfriend, she looked for other future doctors on Tinder.
“If I see someone else who’s a pre-med major or a science major, I’m more likely to swipe right,” she said.
Van Wey spoke similarly, saying he is more inclined to match with someone if they are also studying sociology or African American studies, or a similar field like psychology.
Tikkanen said, in her opinion, one important factor in how people interact with others on dating sites and apps is the nature and reputation of the sites themselves.
“People who go on Tinder are perceived as having different motives than people who go on Match.com or eHarmony,” she said. “I think that there are probably some stereotypes attached to the particular channel you’re using.”
