Personality study reveals web daters to be outgoing, confident and good communicators

Toronto (February 13, 2007) - A recent study challenges the myth that people who use the web for dating are socially introverted and shy. Conducted by PersonalityPro over a 19 month period from June 2005 to December, 2006, the study assessed the personalities of 26,240 web-daters in the United States and United Kingdom using a proprietary personality assessment instrument.

Patrick Marshall, Director of PersonalityPro explains the rationale for the study, “Online dating is now largely mainstream but there seems to be a persistent view, at least in the media, that web-daters are shy or even socially introverted. We didn’t think this was necessarily true. So we decided to test the assumption using data from the UK and the US web dating markets.”

Assessment Methodology
PersonalityPro’s proprietary personality assessment instrument is based on DISC Theory. Although DISC Theory was developed in the 1920s by Harvard-trained psychologist Dr. William Marston, its origins date back to the ancient Greek philosophers Hippocrates who classified personality into 4 distinct “humors”. Marston is also known for his contribution to development of the polygraph (lie detector) and the Wonder Woman comic series.

PersonalityPro’s assessment instrument asks respondents choose between competing behavioral preferences in the form of 24 adjective check lists. They must select one word or phrase which is most like them and one word or phrase which is least like them. In everyday life, people encounter environments that they view as either favorable or antagonistic. Because they can't always react to these situations the way they want to, they’re forced to modify or change their behavior. In this way, PersonalityPro’s assessment is designed to identify people’s preferred and alternate behaviors in various contexts.

Study Findings
PersonalityPro’s study breaks the respondents down into four distinct groups:

49% of respondents show a preference for what PersonalityPro calls High Influence behavior. These are people who tend to be motivated by relationships and communication. They’re democratic in their approach to others and are motivated by recognition. These people are most the likely to upload multiple pictures to include with their profile. Marshall comments “with such a large number of High Influence respondents, this would appear to debunk the myth that web-daters are typically introverts.”

33% of respondents show a preference for High Steadiness behavior. These people are good listeners. They’re patient and thoughtful of others. According to Marshall “we know that High Steadiness people are motivated by security and inclusion within a group. If you’re on a date with this type of person be sure to stick to the plan. They’re not keen on abrupt changes. They’re persistent and like to finish what they start”

11% of respondents show a preference for what PersonalityPro calls High Dominance behavior. These are people who are driven and competitive. They tend to be self-starters and results-focused. “This group of people is likely looking at web-dating as an efficient strategy for achieving their relationship goals” comments Marshall. “They’re not all business but they’re definitely assertive and tend to keep things moving at a quick pace. Don’t be offended if they come across as dictators. It’s in their nature to take control and they dislike being told what to do.”

7% of respondents show a High Compliance behavioral preference. They are people who are logical and careful in their approach to others. They tend to value structure and pride themselves on being precise. Marshall claims that this group of people are easily identifiable. “If you come across a web-dating profile that is 100% complete and has no spelling mistakes in the personal essay section, you’re looking at a High Compliance person. Keep in mind that this person doesn’t like conflict. And they’ll be disappointed if you show up late for your date.”

According to Marshall the abundance of High Influence web-daters makes sense. “Dating and social networking sites have provided an unparalleled outlet for exhibitionism.” says Marshall. There are considerable differences between dating sites and social networks but both provide members with a virtually unlimited opportunity to build robust personal profiles, heavy on personal information. According to Marshall “High Influence people enjoy getting the approval of others and these sites provide a perfect venue for attracting attention.

Different Site = Different Personality Types
The findings of PersonalityPro’s study suggest that different online dating sites attract different personality types.

“Take eHarmony for example,” says Marshall. “They have what some might consider a lengthy sign up process. It can take up to two hours. They use science as a selling point. Their founder, Dr. Warren, even goes so far as to say that it’s ‘practically impossible to have a successful relationship with a person who is more than 10 IQ points higher or lower than you’. This may be extreme to some but it’s very appealing to others.” PersonalityPro would say that e-Harmony targets High Steadiness and High Compliance people. Their marketing messages are very focused on feeling secure in their patented process. They’re so effective at targeting these personality segments they can charge a premium if US$49.95 a month instead of the regular US$19.95.

He goes on to say, “Sites like Mate1, Lavalife, or LoopyLove in the UK are targeting High Dominance and High Influence people. Member registration is typically under 5 minutes. Their pages are light on text and feature lots of images. They offer an experience that’s predominantly member-driven. Users conduct their own searches.” According to Marshall “all this adds up to an environment that speaks to people who are assertive, naturally inquisitive, outgoing and communicative. In a nutshell High Dominance and High Influence people.”

Marshall believes that by correctly identifying the personality type of its database and tailoring communication accordingly a site can increase the rate at which members become subscribers. “Everyone likes to be understood. We try to help sites better understand their members by quantifying personality.” PersonalityPro actually provides consulting to dating sites to help them tailor their marketing messages to be more in line with the chosen communication style.“

About PersonalityPro PersonalityPro is a leader in the provision of professional personality assessment software used on web-dating, online personals and social networking sites. The DISC-based personality assessment, PersonalityPro’s proprietary assessment instrument, has assisted a wide range of partners including web-dating and online personals sites to increase member conversion, build customer loyalty and generate revenue through innovative private-label assessment technology that is unduplicated in the marketplace. As a leading provider of personality tools, PersonalityPro assesses over 40,000 people every month on some of the online dating industry’s most popular sites including including LoveAccess, LoveAndFriends, AnotherFriend, DatelineOnetoOne, JLove, and Allegran (LoopyLove, Pocado, and DreamsDiscovered)

For further information & interviews, please contact:
Dora Panayiotopoulos, Communications Manager T: 416.598.7045 ext. 4108 dorap@personalitypro.com