Study 1
Study 1 employs computerized linguistic analyses to identify the linguistic cues
that correlate with deception in online dating profiles. These profiles are a unique
environment for the production of deception. First, they are made up of a variety
of components: (a) closed-ended questions that require short, factual answers, (e.g.,
statements about height, age, and occupation); (b) an open-ended question where
users write about themselves ‘‘in my own words’’; and (c) photographs. Although
different in nature, these components serve the same overarching goal of creating a
flattering self-presentation, and deception in one or several of the components can
be used to achieve this goal.
Second, online dating profiles are composed under asynchronous and editable
conditions (Walther, 2007). Users have an unlimited amount of time to create
their self-presentation and the ability to revise it to make it both flattering and
believable—an important goal because the profile is a conduit to future face-to-face
meetings, where deception can be spotted. For these reasons, deception should be
highly strategic. Indeed, online daters have been shown to lie frequently but subtly
and to carefully choose which aspects of themselves to enhance. Men typically
exaggerated their height, and women underreported their weight and posted less
accurate photographs. Importantly, these deceptions were found to be intentionaland not merely a result of failing to update the profile (Hancock & Toma, 2009;
Toma & Hancock, 2010; Toma, Hancock, & Ellison, 2008).