New Study Says ‘Honesty’ is the Most Attractive Trait on Dating Profiles
Although it might sound cliche, a new study has found that honesty – not overly polished dating profiles, not excellent physique, and not impeccable social traits – makes an individual more approachable on dating sites.
With online dating sites or apps offering roughly limitless opportunities to meet hundreds of potentially good matches, honesty continues to be the quality that most dating profiles seem to lack nowadays.
The problem of dishonesty and lies in dating profiles
Past studies have found that self-enhancement and exaggerating is very common among online daters. Thus, it’s not a rarity for a woman or man to be lying about their height, weight, job, or even marital status online.
When most people create a dating profile, they turn it into the perfect – albeit unrealistic – version of themselves, thinking that exaggerating or lying about their accomplishments or good traits while downplaying or concealing their seemingly “unattractive” traits will make them more approachable on dating apps.
‘Living with parents’ and ‘heavy drinkers’ are two attractive traits
A recent study reported by The London Economic shows that honesty is the most attractive trait when it comes to looking for a potential partner online. Honesty is the exact opposite of how many online daters choose to polish their profiles to look more presentable.
The study showed that people who admit on their dating profiles that they live with their parents, people who are upfront about their plans on having children, and those who identify themselves as “heavy drinkers” are more likely to be approached by potential partners online.
What do all of these traits have in common? Honesty. According to the study that analyzed more than 5,000 online dating users, “living with parents” and “heavy drinker” were more popular than those who refused to identify themselves as such.
Honesty about children is also perceived well
The study also found that revealing whether they want children someday helped increase their attractiveness and approach ability in the eyes of other online daters. Time and time again, researchers have proven that the vast majority of people on dating apps are not interested in dating the unrealistic and functional perfect version of someone else.
Instead, online daters want to date people they can relate to. They want to date real people, which makes honesty such a valuable and attractive trait on dating profiles.
According to the study, women who were straightforward in the dating profiles that they had or wanted to have children someday were more popular than other female users.
Meanwhile, men who claimed to not want children were the most approachable in the eyes of female users. Although the authors of the study did not elaborate on why “heavy drinkers” were more likable than non-drinkers among both genders, it could have something to do with the fact that people who admit to drinking are perceived as more fun, carefree, positive, and approachable.
Exaggerating one’s accomplishments has the opposite effect
The findings of the study go in line with a study that was conducted by the University of Iowa in 2016 and analyzed by The Washington Post. The 2016 study found that an online dater’s attempts to highlight or exaggerate his or her accomplishments tend to be futile, as trying too hard to impress people on dating apps can actually repel.
The researchers found that online daters who were seen as bragging or exaggerating their accomplishments or physical appearances were perceived as less trustworthy and less socially attractive, which results in fewer messages from both genders.
Being humble and down-to-earth, on the other hand, increased the daters’ likelihood of being approached by singles on dating apps. People online perceive such individuals to be honest and more attractive.
