"You'll never get married. You're unlovable."

My Mum

Overview

• Factorial Designs: gone (cat)fishing

• Repeated Measures: 50 first dates

• Logistic Regression: the unfriendly ghost

• KahootR

Dan's Dating Dilemmas

• R is obviously the love of my life, but everyone laughs at me when I say that, so I'm searching for something else..

• On my mission to find real life love, I've encountered 3 dilemmas I need your help with:

  1. What's the best way to get dating app matches?

  2. What's the best date to go on?

  3. Why do I keep getting ghosted? [everybody say 'aww']

The Matchmaker

• Dating apps have gained immense popularity in recent years, as they offer a convenient and accessible way for people to explore potential romantic relationships

• The apps provide users with a platform to create a profile, often including information about themselves and photos

• Users can then browse through other profiles, and based on their preferences, they can "match" with other users they find attractive or interesting

• So my first super important life-changing research question is: how can I increase matches on my profile?!

Gone (cat)fishing

• From my observations of the world, I've noticed that profiles with a higher level of attractiveness tend to receive more matches...

• So I conducted an experiment to investigate the two key components of a dating app profile: user information, and user photos

• I asked 500 heterosexual men to view a dating app profile and provide a 'match rating' based on their level of interest in matching with the individual (scored from 1-10, higher score = higher interest)

Now for the important part:

• Half of the participants saw an accurate user photo, the other half saw a photo that's been embellished to be more appealing 🐱🐟 - the photo condition

• In each group of the photo condition, half of the participants saw an accurate user profile, and the other half saw a profile that's been enhanced to be more attractive to others 🐱🐟 - the profile condition

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

• So, half our participants saw one of the following photos:

A Day in the Life

• And within those groups, half saw the Accurate Profile:

⏰ 7:30 AM: The alarm clock blares, signalling the start of another unremarkable day.
🚿 7:45 AM: Dragging myself out of bed, I have a quick shower to wake myself up, followed by the painting of my face to look more human.
☕️ 8:30 AM: Once ready, I run to the kitchen and grab a Poptart to eat on the go before I’m late to work.
🚗 8:30 AM: Joining the endless stream of traffic, I begin my mundane commute to work.
💼 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Work is a series of meetings, emails, teaching and routine tasks.
🥪 12:00 PM: Lunchtime arrives, and I’ve forgotten to make lunch in advance, so I hunt for the Oreos in my desk.
📚 5:30 PM: Finally, the workday is over, and I head home. No thrilling post-work adventures or glamorous social events, just the usual drive home.
🍔 6:30 PM: Dinner is a solo affair, with a microwaveable meal or something equally basic, just a humble dinner for one.
🛋 7:30 PM: The evening entertainment involves watching the same shows on Netflix over and over again. I also spend several hours mindlessly, and bitterly scrolling through social media.
💤 11:30 PM: As the night winds down, I go through my mundane bedtime routine. No luxurious pampering or elaborate rituals, just the usual washing, brushing and flossing.
🛌 12:00 PM: I crawl into bed, cry, and eventually fall asleep embracing the void.

A Day in the Life

• And the other half saw the Catfish Profile:

⏰ 6:00 AM: The day begins with the soft melody of a chime, and I awaken in the comfort of my opulent mansion. Greeted by a picturesque view of the sunrise, I start my morning with a refreshing swim in my private pool or a session of yoga to centre my mind and body.
☕️ 7:30 AM: Savouring a gourmet breakfast prepared by my personal chef, I indulge in the finest delicacies from around the world. Whether it's fresh fruits from exotic lands or a sumptuous array of pastries, each bite is a delight for the senses.
💼 9:00 AM: With a sharp mind and a heart full of ambition, I dive into the world of business. From my luxurious home office or in the bustling heart of the city, I make strategic decisions, connect with visionary partners, and lead my empire to even greater heights.
🏞 12:30 PM: Noon calls for an exquisite luncheon with friends, family, or esteemed colleagues. We gather in an exclusive dining venue or a Michelin-starred restaurant, where culinary delights and captivating conversations flow.
🚁 2:00 PM: Stepping onto the helipad of my high-rise building, I embark on an aerial adventure, soaring above the city's skyline. The breathtaking views remind me of the endless possibilities life has to offer.
🏛 4:00 PM: As the afternoon sun graces the city, I indulge in my passion for art and culture. Whether it's visiting an art gallery, attending a private exhibition, or supporting a philanthropic cause, I embrace the beauty that enriches the world.
🛍 6:00 PM: What better way to unwind than with a little retail therapy? I explore exclusive boutiques and flagship stores, surrounded by opulent choices that reflect my discerning taste.
🌅 8:00 PM: Evenings are for enchanting moments, whether hosting an extravagant dinner party at my mansion or indulging in a candlelit affair at a world-class restaurant. Every sip and every bite is an exquisite symphony of flavours.
🎭 10:00 PM: As the moon rises, the night comes alive with entertainment. I attend exclusive events, dazzling parties, or indulge in a private screening of a movie at my very own home theatre.
🌌 12:00 AM: As the clock strikes midnight, I retire to my luxurious sanctuary, reflecting on the day's grand experiences. Drifting off to sleep, I know that tomorrow holds even more captivating opportunities and a chance to make the world a more beautiful place.

50 first dates

• OK so now that we've decided being a super catfish is the best way to get matches, let's think about what type of date would be the most successful in finding me love!

• For this next experiment, I went on multiple dates (10) with 50 participants, and got them to rate their 'dating interest' in me after each date

  • Every participant did every date type, which was counterbalanced

  • Dating interested was measured on a scale from 1-10, a high score = more interest

The Unfriendly Ghost 👻

• Ghosting is a phenomenon that often takes place within the realm of dating and has become increasingly common in the era of digital communication

• Ghosting can have various negative effects on the ghostee, both emotionally and psychologically 😢

• So, in the quest to become a ghostbuster, I'm researching predictors of being ghosted (or not) to save people (me) from an unwanted fright (more therapy)

  • Note. Ghosts are not to be confused with Zombies, so we need to think carefully about how we operationalise our outcome!

Who You Gonna Call? 👻🔫

• For our final experiment, I went on dates with 500 participants, and categorised the outcome of those dates into: ghosted vs not ghosted based on whether we spoke again after the date

• I collected the participants' fear of commitment score (1-5, higher score = more fear), and whether I talked about R on the date (R talk or no R talk)

In Conclusion*:

• Catfishing is the way to go

  • The greatest number of matches were found for photo catfishing and profile catfishing combined

• The best date you can go on is a holiday to the Maldives, closely followed by attending an R conference

  • It doesn't matter if you go to a funeral, or to a friend's wedding, both are pretty average...

  • But dinner with parents is the worst overall!

• & we still don't know what increases the likelihood of being ghosted... dissertation project anyone?? 😀

*all data are fictional, dating success may vary!

That's all - unhappy dating! 😒