Abstract
This article presents two experimental studies investigating the impact of language errors in online dating profiles on impression formation. A first study examined whether language errors have a negative effect on perceptions of attraction and dating intention and whether this effect is moderated by the presence of visual information, that is, the profile picture. This 2 (Language Errors/No Language Errors) x 2 (Visible/Blurred Picture) experiment revealed that language errors negatively affect perceptions of social and romantic attraction and that a visible picture on a profile positively affects perceptions of physical attraction. Study 2 focused on mechanical, rule-based, and informal language errors, which can each be attributed to different personality traits. Mechanical and rule-based errors lead to lower scores on, respectively, perceived attentiveness and intelligence, which in turn lead to lower attraction and dating intention scores. These results highlight the importance of error-free language use as a cue for attractiveness.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 0265407519878787 |
Pages (from-to) | 758-778 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Journal of Social and Personal Relationships |
Volume | 37 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2020 |
Keywords
- dating profiles
- impression formation
- language errors
- language use
- online dating
- profile picture
- SELF-DISCLOSURE
- REAL ME
- STRATEGIES
- IMPACTS