It’s a match (?): Tinder usage and attitudes toward interracial dating

Abstract

The increased popularity of dating apps such as Tinder coupled with the rise in interracial marriages form the foundation of this study which explores the role played by visual and cultural cues in people’s dating decisions. Using a within-group 2*3 experimental design (N = 331) among a convenience sample of adults in the Netherlands, this study provides insight into how the ethnicity associated with profile pictures and names impact the evaluation of a potential date on Tinder. Overall, respondents ranked Caucasian-looking Tinder users as more attractive and more likely to be their date of choice. Interestingly, this finding did not hold when narrowed down to respondents identifying as Western-European only: They did not prefer Caucasian-looking or sounding profiles. Perceived attractiveness was shown to partially mediate the choice of a Caucasian-looking profile, regardless of name.