I "Woof" You: How Pet Pictures Influence Online Dating Selection

Abstract

Pets, notably dogs, can act as a “social lubricant” by facilitating social interactions between people. This effect has been observed in traditional (i.e., in-person) heterosexual dating behaviour. However, it is unclear whether such effects will extend to people’s dating behaviour in modern contexts (e.g., dating apps) or in 2SLGBTQ+ daters. The present study experimentally evaluated how the presence of a dog in a dating profile will impact partner selection as a function of respondents’ sexual orientation. Participants were recruited (N = 300) and engaged in a mock dating app where they could choose who they were most interested in. They also completed surveys assessing their dating app use, mental health, and attitudes toward dogs. Preliminary analyses reveal that the presence of dogs in heterosexual dating profile pictures significantly increased the chances of the profile being selected for a match, regardless of the dater’s gender. Due to limited samples for 2SLGBTQ+ participants, data collection/analysis is ongoing and will be completed by January 2023. Our results to date indicate that, in a modern dating context, the presence of animals in dating profile pictures enhances the likelihood of the profile owner being selected. This empirically supports the dating trend of “dog-fishing”, or posing with a dog to attract dates, in online dating apps.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Legge