Sunday, May 10, 2009

Marriage and dating online

Günter J. Hitsch, Ali Hortaçsu, and Dan Ariely have a paper about online dating and matching forthcoming in the AER: Matching and Sorting in Online Dating.

They write
"Using a novel data set from an online dating site, we first estimate mate preferences and then use the classic Gale-Shapley algorithm to predict matching outcomes. Online dating exists to facilitate the search for a partner. Our results suggest that the particular site that we study leads to approximately efficient matching outcomes (within the set of stable matches), and that search frictions are mostly absent. Hence, the site appears to be efficiently designed."

Their dataset allows them to look at all the clicks and messages of a subset of participants. So they can see which profiles people look at, and whom they choose to contact. This allows them to form estimates about preferences (on the assumption that if you browse two profiles and contact one of them, you prefer the one you contacted.) And they can observe when email addresses or phone numbers are mutually exchanged, which gives them their proxy for matches.

They compare the matchings they see both to marriages in the population at large (from Census data), and to stable matchings obtained by running the deferred acceptance algorithm, using the estimated preferences. They write:
"We saw that both actual marriages and the predicted matches from the Gale-Shapley model exhibit strong intra-ethnicity sorting patterns. However, even in the absence of search frictions it is not obvious whether same-race preferences alone cause sorting within ethnicity groups: because other attributes, such as income and education, are correlated with race, preferences over these other attributes could lead to intra-ethnicity sorting as well. To investigate what fraction of the predicted endogamy patterns is driven by same-race preferences, we remove these preferences from the utility specification and simulate the corresponding stable matches. Tables 10 and 11, panel (IV), show that intra-ethnicity sorting is strongly diminished, although small degrees of endogamy remain. These results suggest that racial sorting is mostly due to the same-race preferences; preferences for non-race attributes can not quantitatively account for the small fraction of marriages across different ethnic groups."

20 comments:

  1. Apart from this post, I have gone through almost all of your posts these are really very advantageous and unique, keep it up please!!!!!!!

    Well, my name is Eva, I am enjoying motherhood, and whenever I get time I used to surf net because I also run a dating website, according to my knowledge for the right person, online dating can be a very effective alternative to traditional dating. Not only does it provide the convenience of getting to know someone in front of your computer, but it also will help ensure that you meet someone who shares similar interests. It's important to keep in mind that there are a number of different things that one can do to increase the chances of successful dating in the online world.

    http://goxdating.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing this; this is in fact a great reading. We have few online readers who will like to read this stuff. We will pass it on to our valuable readers for more feedback. Thanks and please post us and leave a comment back and well link to you. Thanking you. dating online

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think people would have more joy after trying sms dating :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your Escort Agency offers exclusive and most beautiful London escort girls of various nationalities.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bentley's International Models is a London escort agency providing elite top class

    ReplyDelete
  7. London escort agency which provides genuine female escort models in Central London area

    ReplyDelete
  8. If you are looking for European escorts Bestescort4U is the best place in London

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful escorts can be found at Elite Club International. Elite Club International is an elite escort agency operating mostly in Dubai and London.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bunny Planet is an Exclusive Online Gentlemen's Club filled with Adult Stars, Adult Entertainers, Centerfolds and Erotic Models who want to meet you in person now!

    ReplyDelete
  11. London Elite Gallery is a highly respected international escort agency providing the most beautiful elite london escorts.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Adoras Models is an escort agency in London where you can find the beautiful and exclusive London escorts. Adoras Models prides itself in running a honest and efficient London escort agency.

    ReplyDelete
  13. We are a Central London agency with many of girls exclusive to London Japanese Paradise.

    ReplyDelete
  14. London Asian Escorts is an Asian and Oriental escort agency operating in Central London. The agency provides escort service for a true gentlemen.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Escort of London agency a well-established and respected agency. We have a great selection of girls in London for your pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Only Pleasures is a well established and respected agency since 1999. We are pride of ourselves on having the most exquisite selection of girls in London for your pleasure…

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your website has dependably pulled in me and this specific post left me astounded. It is one of the best bits of thinking of I have seen. Great work,http://www.sussexpetitemeili.co.uk/.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It is essential to understand that as individuals with different lifestyles and interests all of us can have different taste when we look at profiles in marriage and dating sites , this is taken care of in MeetOutside.com so that single men and women make an informed decision. It is essential to have the best available interaction mediums though.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Miami escorts ,Escort Guide, Sexual Person Leisure,seattle escorts, escorts in seattle,portland escorts,portland cam careers,seattle escort jobs,portland stripper careers"

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yes, marriage and dating are happening online. Few years back, the process of dating was completely different. We used to start with a face to face meet and later it turn to a relationship or marriage but in the present era, things has changed completely. People love to start dating online now and it is also easy as you don't need to spent much time but we need to be little careful with it. online dating safety.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.