These services were selected because they allow users
to self-present through detailed profiles (including textual self-descriptions) and
because they appeal to mainstream rather than niche audiences.
The study was conducted in New York City. Participants were recruited through
print and online advertisements for a ‘‘self-presentation’’ study. Deception was not
mentioned so that dishonest daters would not be reluctant to participate. Participants
signed up through a secure Web site, where they indicated their username and the
service they used. This information was used to screen out participants under the
age of 18 and homosexual participants, who were excluded to avoid the potential
confound of sexual orientation. Two hundred and fifty-one online daterswere invited
to participate, 80 of whom showed up for their appointments and were included
in the study. Two participants were eliminated because they did not write textual
self-descriptions in their profiles, reducing the effective sample size to 78.