Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets Elizabeth E. Bruch1, 2 and M. E. J. Newman2, 3 1 Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 2 Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,...
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Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets Elizabeth E. Bruch1, 2 and M. E. J. Newman2, 3 1 Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 2 Center for the Study of Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 3 Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA Romantic courtship is often described as taking place in a dating market where men and women compete for mates, but the detailed structure and dynamics of dating markets have historically been difficult to quantify for lack of suitable data. In recent years, however, the advent and vig- orous growth of the online dating industry has provided a rich new source of information on mate pursuit. Here we present an empirical analysis of heterosexual dating markets in four large US cities using data from a popular, free online dating service. We show that competition for mates creates a pronounced hierarchy of desirability that correlates strongly with us
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