A study led by Jeffrey Hancock, assistant professor of communication at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, found 81 percent of the people he interviewed from four dating Web sites lied about their looks but only marginally so as not to get found out.
These “White Lies” include making themselves an inch or so taller or trimming a few pounds, as well as shaving a few years off of one’s chronology, according to Hancock’s survey.
Initial Findings
Over half of the men questioned, or 52.6 percent, made themselves taller which should be no surprise to the tall ladies looking for love online.
While 39 percent of women claimed greater height, this figure could be greater for tall dating sites.
Women more commonly trimmed their weight to make themselves more appealing, with 64.1 percent of women registering a false weight compared to 60.5 percent of men.
When it came to age, 24.3 percent of the men were untruthful, compared with 13.1 percent of the women.
“You can post a nicer picture or make yourself seem tall or or at least a bit taller. Photos can also make you look younger or thinner … so people told smaller lies. They thought that the lies they were telling were not that detectable but were enough to get you in the door,” Hancock said.
Majority of Untruths are the Same Online or Off
The keeping of secrets and practicing of deception are commonplace in everyday social interaction. They also serve an important role in encouraging social cohesion both online and face-to-face.
“The same way you are getting lied to in a bar, you’re just as likely to get lied to online,” said Hancock, whose study was published in the April 2007 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of Computer/Human Interaction.
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