Speed Dating

I n all areas of scientific inquiry, the ideas that researchers pursue are constrained by the methods available to them. thankfully, new and generative methodological paradigms are frequently born, often directly as a result of scientists’ own ingenuity. two prominent examples in psychology include thurstone’s (1928) insight that attitudes can be measured, a revelation that served as the foundation for the myriad self-report measures in use today, and Byrne’s (1961) “bogus stranger” experiment, which became one of the most enduring paradigms in the study of attraction. in other cases, scientists have capitalized on the emergence of a new technology or some other product of our evolving culture. For instance, as millions of people currently have access to the internet, a massive participant pool is available for studies that choose to harness this resource (Fraley, 2004). We have become increasingly enthusiastic about a promising methodological advance for researchers interested in attraction and relationship initiation: a providential gift from popular singles’ culture known as speed dating. Speed dating was conceived by Rabbi Yaacov Deyo in the late 1990s as an efficient means for Jewish singles in los angeles to meet one another. Since that time, it has rapidly become a fixture of pop culture, spreading throughout metropolitan areas in the united States, Great Britain, and australia and recently emerging in nations as diverse as Japan and South africa. in speed dating, individuals who are interested in meeting potential romantic partners pay to attend events (a typical price in chicago in 2007 was uS$35) where they have a series of brief “dates” with other attendees. Each date lasts a set number of minutes, though the duration will vary from event to event (typically in the 3–8-minute range), as will the total number of dates. at the end of the evening, speed daters indicate (on either a short questionnaire or a website) whom they would (“yes”) or would not (“no”) be interested in meeting again. the host of the speed-dating event then provides a means for mutually interested parties to contact one another. a speed date bears little resemblance to a traditional, presumably longer date; instead, speeddating events are roughly analogous to parties, bars, or other social settings where single individuals might hope to connect with other singles. Speed dating possesses several unique advantages over these alternatives, including (a) the assurance that the people one meets are (to some extent) romantically available, (b) the fact that great confidence is not a prerequisite to approach the more desirable preferred-sex individuals present, and (c) the knowledge that any unpleasant dates will have a mercifully quick end. Speed dating is also a flexible concept; it has even been adapted for populations who generally disapprove of dating by allowing participants’ parents to chaperone the events