Online Dating: Does it Really Work?

Online dating used to be something of a novelty amongst the community. You know the kind of situation where you hide the fact that you met your latest date online... However, today online dating seems to be the accepted and in some cases preferred way to find that perfect match. There are multitudes of online dating services out there as I'm sure you have already noticed.

While this may seem to give you more options, it has also opened up the opportunities for greater disappointments. You struggle to wade through the endless sea of profiles, and to contact those who seem to catch your eye. It can be frustrating to say the least.

To minimize this, many dating services are now offering questionnaires or tests to categorize your personality and compatibility. The theory is that once you have been categorized through the various questions, you should be matched with someone who shares the same values and personality.

Although this method of dating has become somewhat preferred, most skilled professionals would argue that the dating tests do not deliver dependable profiling. Psychologists claim that the tests are much lower than 50% accurate. If this is the case, when a couple is paired as being well-suited, they are in fact less than half alike.

You can't help but ask "Why are the accuracy rates so low? Does this mean I'm just wasting my time?" The online dating business is pressured to make perfect matches by their customers. People are looking for their one and only, that perfect someone who will make their life complete.

The tests and profiles are the best choice and answer to this demand given the circumstances. This is why you will find nearly every online dating service has some type of questionnaire when you first become a member.

The problem is this: When a person takes these tests and answers the questions; they may be under the influence of other feelings. Perhaps the customer just went through a divorce or death of a spouse. Their responses are going to be much more weighted than someone who just had a bad day at work. Your answers are going to be influenced by your mood. You could take the test one day and answer completely different than you would if you retested the next day.

Psychologists suggest this error occurs when online dating companies allow customers to perform a self-evaluation instead of having a qualified psychologist perform the assessment, or provide a more standardized testing and matching system. In short, although entertaining, online dating tests and questionnaires should not be the only deciding factor in attaining long-term relationships. Use the tools made available to you, but ultimately, it is your own experience, judgment, and "gut feeling" that will guide you through the process.