Smart-Dating in Speed-Dating: How a Simple Search Model Can Explain Matching Decisions

Lucas Herrenbrueck, Xiaoyu Xia (), Paul Eastwick (), Eli Finkel () and Chin Ming Hui ()
Additional contact information
Xiaoyu Xia: Chinese University of Hong Kong, https://sites.google.com/site/xiaoyuxia2014/home
Paul Eastwick: University of Texas, http://pauleastwick.com/
Eli Finkel: Northwestern University, http://elifinkel.com/
Chin Ming Hui: Chinese University of Hong Kong

Discussion Papers from Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University

Abstract: How do people in a romantic matching situation choose a potential partner? We study this question in a new model of matching under search frictions, which we estimate using data from an existing speed dating experiment. We find that attraction is mostly in the eye of the beholder and that the attraction between two potential partners has a tendency to be mutual. These results are supported by a direct measure of subjective attraction. We also simulate the estimated model, and it predicts rejection patterns, matching rates, and sorting outcomes that fit the data very well. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that people in a romantic matching situation act strategically and have at least an implicit understanding of the nature of the frictions and of the strategic equilibrium.

Keywords: Search and matching theory; heterogeneous preferences; decisions under uncertainty; attraction and attractiveness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 J12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45
Date: 2016-03-25
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe and nep-dge
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Journal Article: Smart-dating in speed-dating: How a simple Search model can explain matching decisions (2018)
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