People using online dating sites are no good at spotting when someone is lying because they want it all to be true, according to researchers.
Lovelorn users are so desperate to believe people who describe themselves as tall, dark and handsome that they fail to notice clues which suggest all is not what it seems, it was claimed.
Although it is harder to spot a liar from something they have written than in a face-to-face meeting, certain signs such as the amount someone refers to themself in the first person should ring alarm bells, researchers said.
The team from the University of Wisconsin and Cornell University in New York analysed the profiles of 78 members of online dating sites and compared them with reality.
They found that many had lied about characteristics like their height, weight and age to make them sound more physically attractive and boost their chances of securing a date.
Profiles which were briefer, contained fewer instances of the first person pronoun I and used less specific language ââ¬â for example describing themself as not boring rather than exciting ââ¬â were the most likely to be deceptive.
On average, women were 8.5lb (4kg) heavier than they admitted, while men were 1.5lb (700g) heavier. Half of all users had lied about their height, and one in five about their age, researchers said.
Source: http://www.telegraph...ting-liars.html
Questions:
Have you ever used an online dating site?
If you have tried an online dating site, were you ever duped?
Would you ever want to try an online dating site? Why or why not?
Lovelorn users are so desperate to believe people who describe themselves as tall, dark and handsome that they fail to notice clues which suggest all is not what it seems, it was claimed.
Although it is harder to spot a liar from something they have written than in a face-to-face meeting, certain signs such as the amount someone refers to themself in the first person should ring alarm bells, researchers said.
The team from the University of Wisconsin and Cornell University in New York analysed the profiles of 78 members of online dating sites and compared them with reality.
They found that many had lied about characteristics like their height, weight and age to make them sound more physically attractive and boost their chances of securing a date.
Profiles which were briefer, contained fewer instances of the first person pronoun I and used less specific language ââ¬â for example describing themself as not boring rather than exciting ââ¬â were the most likely to be deceptive.
On average, women were 8.5lb (4kg) heavier than they admitted, while men were 1.5lb (700g) heavier. Half of all users had lied about their height, and one in five about their age, researchers said.
Source: http://www.telegraph...ting-liars.html
Questions:
Have you ever used an online dating site?
If you have tried an online dating site, were you ever duped?
Would you ever want to try an online dating site? Why or why not?
