Too much information - or not enough? New study reveals how self-disclosure in online dating profiles shapes the kind of relationship people want to pursue with you
image:
Prof. Gurit Birnbaum, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University
view moreCredit: Ilia Yefimovich
The study, led by Prof. Gurit Birnbaum in collaboration with Yovel Refaeli and Kobi Zholtack of Reichman University’s Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology and Prof. Harry Reis of the University of Rochester, examined how the amount of personal information people disclose in their dating profiles affects the impression they make and the type of relationship potential partners want to pursue with them. According to the researchers, a few lines of self-description can reveal far more than their literal content. A profile containing very little personal information may signal a lack of effort, guardedness, or limited interest in forming a meaningful relationship. A more detailed profile, on the other hand, may convey openness and effort, but it can also come across as oversharing, reveal incompatibilities at an early stage, or leave too little room for imagination and curiosity.
Self-disclosure - the sharing of personal information, thoughts, and feelings - is essential to developing intimacy and building relationships. In face-to-face encounters, however, impressions develop gradually through conversation, tone of voice, body language, and reciprocal sharing. A dating profile, by contrast, is generally one-sided and static. As a result, every sentence may carry considerable weight in determining whether someone wants to take the interaction further - and whether they see the person behind the profile as a potential partner for a casual encounter or a committed relationship.
The researchers conducted three studies involving participants who were not in a relationship. In each study, participants first created their own dating profiles and then evaluated profiles with varying levels of self-disclosure. For example, a low-disclosure profile contained only the phrase “I’m totally worth a chat!” while a moderate-disclosure profile included information about personality traits, hobbies, and personal preferences. Participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of the people behind the profiles, assess whether they appeared to be seeking a casual or long-term relationship, and indicate what kind of relationship they themselves would want to pursue with them. In some of the studies, participants also wrote messages to the profile owners and chose which of them they would prefer to get to know better. Independent judges then evaluated the messages to determine the extent to which they expressed romantic interest and a desire for further interaction.
The findings showed that greater self-disclosure generally created a more favorable impression and led profile owners to be perceived as more interested in a serious relationship. However, when the self-description was the primary source of information available to viewers, moderate self-disclosure generated the greatest romantic interest. According to the researchers, this finding reflects the “Goldilocks principle”: not too little and not too much, but just the right amount. People whose profiles contained a moderate level of self-disclosure were perceived as more interested in a long-term relationship than those who disclosed very little. This perception, in turn, increased participants’ willingness to pursue a meaningful relationship with them.
The study also found that how self-disclosure is interpreted depends on the other information presented in a profile. When profile owners explicitly stated that they were looking for a casual relationship, greater self-disclosure led them to be perceived as more open to a serious relationship. This increased participants’ interest in pursuing a long-term relationship with them. In other words, the way people present themselves can soften — and even, to some extent, contradict - the explicit message conveyed by their statement about the type of relationship they are seeking.
According to Prof. Birnbaum, “When self-disclosure is the primary source of information in a profile, a moderate amount may strike the best balance: enough information to convey openness, effort, and a willingness to form a connection, but not so much that it overwhelms the reader or leaves too little room for curiosity. It is important to remember that what we choose to disclose affects not only the first impression we make, but also whether others see us as potential partners for a casual or meaningful relationship.”
The study underscores that creating a dating profile is more than an exercise in self-presentation designed to attract attention. The amount of information people disclose can shape how others perceive their intentions and influence the kinds of relationships potential partners may want to pursue with them. The practical takeaway is that the level of self-disclosure should be tailored to what a person is looking for: share enough to spark interest and convey openness, while leaving room to discover more about each other as the connection develops.
***
The study was published in Current Psychology:
Birnbaum, G. E., Refaeli, Y., Zholtack, K., & Reis, H. T. (2026). Too much information or not enough? How self-disclosure in online dating profiles influences attraction and relationship intentions.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-026-09787-y
Journal
Current Psychology
No comments:
Post a Comment