Love at first photo?

Romantic interest on swipe-based dating apps is highly concentrated, according to a recent study by Sofia Shchukina of the University of Chicago. This concentration of attention can lead to frustration for both popular users who feel overwhelmed and less popular users who feel dejected. In her research, Shchukina examines the effects of two common design features on the concentration of interest - the emphasis on visual elements in profiles and limits on the number of profiles users can express interest in.

To test her hypotheses, Shchukina created and ran an experimental dating app that closely resembled conventional swipe-based dating apps. Over 1,000 participants used the app to make 70,000 matching decisions. The findings showed that visual profile components, particularly photos and height, dominate matching decisions. However, reducing the salience of visuals on profiles did not significantly affect which profiles receive likes.

Interestingly, requiring users to screen profiles based on other components spread likes more evenly, as evidenced by a decrease in the Gini coefficient of 0.05 points. This change did not reduce the number of likes or result in fewer matches. On the other hand, limiting the number of profiles users could express interest in amplified concentration, as seen in an increase in the Gini coefficient of 0.1 points.