The biggest difference between dating apps and in-person encounters is the former has a writing component. Psychologists from the Netherlands studied the impact textual errors in profiles have on dating. Errors negatively affect perceptions of social and romantic attractiveness even when a photo is present. However, with no photo, textual errors did not influence perceptions of physical attractiveness. Mechanical errors (e.g., typing “teh” for “the”) suggested the writer was inattentive, while rule-based errors (e.g., improper grammar) suggested the writer was low in intelligence.
Key Takeaways:
- Researchers did several tests to see if people changed their rating of attractiveness based on Typo’s. For the most part, people weren’t against dating people because of these errors.
- While some people did notice the spelling or grammar mistakes, 2/3rd s of the participants didn’t even notice the errors at all.
- Although people would rate people lower on social attractiveness or romantic attractiveness, people did not rate overall attractiveness when a picture was attached.
“Profiles with textual errors were rated lower in social and romantic attractiveness, but not in physical attractiveness or desirability as a dating partner.”