Digital Compass

Consumers may find out more than what they want on the Internet, but that can't always be worthy. Recent research on online dating web sites proves that users presented with so many options to go through "cognitive overload" and it causes poorer decisions as a result. The findings could have implications for some other kinds of sites, though new technologies and approaches could help address the trouble, researchers advise.

Dating web sites are fully grown business. Reported by a survey conducted in 2006 by the Pew Center for web and American dating, more than 37 percent of all single Internet users have tried them out. Dating web sites often resemble e-commerce web sites such as Amazon, users insert search criteria such as height, look, religion and are given with a set of matches.

Even so, Online dating services are just among many Internet avenues that may facilitate a loving connection. 3 out of 4 online users who are single and seeking a romantic mate have done at least 1 dating based activity on net ranging from using dating sites, Most searches on dating terms comes from asia and europe such as asian brides, Filipina date, Asian Singles , Asian Women , Asian Girls and so on, Thai Girls to exploring information about future dates, to flirting thru e-mail and IM, to browsing for info about the local single scene.

Pai Lu Wu (Cheng Shiu University) and Wen Bin Chiou ( National Sun Yat-Sen University Taiwan) did an experiment that involved giving web date seekers changing numbers of search results to their questions on popular dating services. Their report printed last month in the journal "Cyberpsychology" and behaviour, shows that having many more search results leads to a less careful partner choice.

Chiou call it 'double edged sword', because public want a wider selection, but on the other hand give less time to evaluating every prospect. Wu and Chiou concluded that 'a lot of search selections lead to less selective processing by decreasing users' , distracting them with unsuitable info, and bringing down their ability to screen out inferior options." In different words, while faced with cognitive overload, date seekers evaluated as many matches as possible, even ones that were not a good fit, and they were more incapable to differentiate a right option from a bad one.

Simultaneously, when Internet dating is getting more common, there are still worries in the general public about the risks of posting personal data on dating web sites and about the authenticity of those who follow Internet dating.