According to a study based on analysis of dating apps, people who have a clear purpose in their lives are perceived as more attractive by others
The world of online dating can be overwhelming with the dizzying array of ways to attract a partner, but new research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that those looking for love can be more successful when they also look for meaning in their lives.
Researcher Isabella D’Ottone in the lab of Patrick Hill, associate professor of psychology and the brain, has published a study on how this sense of purpose may affect how others evaluate dating app profiles. Those whose profiles showed a purpose in life scored higher on several attractiveness scales than profiles that didn’t show it.
“Overall, we found that people with higher purpose were viewed as more romantically attractive,” said Isabella D’Ottone, co-author of the study with Hill and Gabrielle Pfund, published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology.
D’Ottone, who completed the research as an undergraduate in Hill’s lab, built the study on Pfund’s previous research on how purposefulness is also linked to maintaining better long-term relationships. D’Ottone earned his bachelor’s degree and Pfund earned his doctorate from the University of Washington, both in 2022.
Dating app dates
For this study, they focused on four “purpose in life” categories and created four dating profiles matching each category, as well as five control profiles that gave no indication of a purpose in life. The researchers started a study with 119 participants who read the nine fake profiles and rated them according to various measures of attractiveness.
The four “purpose” categories were prosocial orientation, relationship orientation, financial orientation, and creative orientation:
- Prosocial means someone whose goal is to help others.
- Relationship orientation means that goals are focused on family and finding a romantic partner.
- Financial orientation are goals related to economic security.
- Creative orientation are goals that focus on creativity and originality.
Not only did participants rate purpose-oriented profiles higher than those without a purpose, they also rated profiles with the same purpose orientation higher. For example, people with a creative goal are attracted to others with a creative orientation, and so on.
money is not everything
A word of caution about the appeal of purpose: The financially focused profiles did not perform as well compared to the other purpose categories unless they were rated by study participants who were also financially motivated.
In other words, focusing on financial success could discourage people unless they also find meaning in financial goals.
“Overall, when we looked at all the usage profiles, people weren’t as attracted to the financially oriented person,” says D’Ottone, a research fellow at the University of Miami.
Hill noted that this study was a “phenomenal” project for a student and built on the lab’s work examining why purposefulness is linked to improved relationships. It’s not just about physical attraction, Hill said, but also about recognizing someone who gives direction in life.
“When it comes to attraction, it’s important to know that someone has direction,” he said. D’Ottone’s work speaks to how people perceive the sense of direction and take it into account when they are attracted to others, whether they are aware of it or not, he added.
“We’re actually looking for people with a purpose,” he said.
Hill says this research could also be useful for developing dating apps. The current list of dating apps includes conversation starters and icebreakers, but sites could also include a utilitarian component in these suggestions.
D’Ottone pointed out that it’s not about faking passion for something, but rather finding love where you don’t expect it. Pursuing a special someone can end in a disagreement, “but if you pursue your passions, you can find that person along the way,” he said.
REFERENCE
Determined Partners: Potential relationship quality and determination