I logged on to a
dating site the other day and was greeted by a large, flashing
message. It promised that if I took the time to answer a series of
questions that they would find a "perfect match" for me. Imagine
that? All the work and worry of being single - gone! We truly have
evolved! Not only can computer programs manage the entire traffic
system of a city and make chess grandmasters cry, but now they can
lead my perfect match right to my doorstep. I always wanted a
Stepford wife, I hope it comes assembled.
The recent trend in Internet Dating has been the use of a "computer
personality test" of some sort. Websites claim that these tests,
usually developed by a "top psychologist", have the ability to
understand you and your needs through a series of questions.
Confused? Lost in love? Problems communicating? Don't worry, the
Online Dating Hal 5000 can figure you out! In fact, when you're
done, this computer program will know your needs and desires better
than you do.
Remember the Broadway play “Fiddler on The Roof”? You might not, it
was the first Broadway play I went to when I was seven. A song that
always stuck in my head for some reason was “matchmaker, matchmaker,
make me a match…” The song starts as a plea to the matchmaker to
bring true love straight to the altar; someone beautiful, rich,
intelligent, and perfect.
But by the end of the song, the singer realizes that the Matchmaker
might not be up to the task. She decides that “playing with matches,
a girl can get burned”.
So, do these tests really work?
Personality tests have a long history. Really, really smart guys
with names like Freud, Maslov, Fromm, and Jung developed respected
psychological theories, and these theories are used as the basis for
all types of tests. “The Big Five” theory suggests that there are
five dimensions of personality: openness to experience,
conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Some popular personality tests use this as a foundation. Others go
the “Big Three” route, which does away with the “openness” and
“agreeableness” dimensions - mostly because it’s easier to remember.
I joke a little about
these theories, but the truth is that they’ve survived the test of
time and there is a ton of scientific research behind them. The real
question is if these tests can be effective in applying a theory to
the complexity of a human being. Add to this the additional layer of
meshing your answers with another, equally complex person. That’s a
tall order.
People have impulsive behavior that simply can’t be measured when
they’re sitting, relaxed and introspective, taking one of these
tests. Often our answers reflect our perfect (or hopeful) idea of
ourselves. Even if we are trying our best to be honest, our
impulsive behavior in real-life situations can be far different than
we’d expect.
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