I've found that a select few singles lie about their height, weight, age, marital status (or other demographic information) online, but that in general most people are honest regarding who they are. Now, that isn't saying that people use photos on their online dating profiles that are truthful (or at the very least, recent), and a recent OkCupid study found that the hotter the online dating photo, the more likely it was an older picture.
So it was interesting to me to read a recent survey undertaken by Jeff Hancock of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who found that online daters were "lying strategically"; essentially fudging details that wouldn't make a huge difference in person, but could potentially skew a potential date more towards meeting them. Of the forty New Yorkers that Hancock's team weighed and measured, the average difference between stated demographic information and reality seemed almost insignificant: 6 lbs, 1/3 of an inch and 5 months. These differences, to me, could easily be explained away by constraints with the dating site's information (most don't measure height to more than an inch of difference or ten pounds in weight -- if they do at all). Even the "whoppers" weren't that big of a difference, such as 35lbs for weight and three inches for height. Mind you, the 11 year difference in age seems a bit much to me, but I can readily admit that a potential date lying about their age would upset me more than lying about their height or weight.
Forty people seemed like a very small sample to me though, so I want to ask you, the readers: Have you ever lied about your demographic information when filling out a profile at an online dating site? Choose as many options that apply to you, and feel free to add your comments or opinions on the matter.
Reference: Tall, dark and dishonest. New Scientist [serial online]. January 20, 2007;193(2587):21-21.
I always alter my age – but that is to protect for ID theft. I had ID theft one time – and that the perpretators had used the wrong birth year prevented the problem from affecting my credit rating. The bank had to deal with the false charges. So on online sites (shopping, dating, etc) I always make sure one or two of the fields are not real – birth day of month, birth month, or birth year. Usually a combo – but never being more than 6 months from real birthdate. I want to be close to what is posted but not matchable to actual date in case file is compromised.
So intent is honest and date is always wrong – but just a little.
I like your approach Dobie. Perhaps I’m too unwary. I don’t know.
I recently read that based on just three factoids: date of birth, zip code, and sex, there is an 87% chance you can be identified by name. I’m never providing that info to any random questioner again!
A fantastic site, and brilliant effort. A great piece of work.,
How many dating sites actually allow you to answer their questions honestly? Dating and other sites, I’ve found, just don’t let you say what you have to say. Sometimes, You’ve got to give them the ‘closest to the truth’ answer or you can’t get on with whatever you’re doing.
I don’t lie, period. If I’m forced to do a ‘closest to the truth’ answer, I’ll do it, and not fret about it (and, if possible, set the record straight on my own terms elsewhere), ‘only’ if it doesn’t result in some significant distortion of the truth.
+5
I’m, with Arby here. POF and a few other sites don’t have complete categories, so your forced to go with the closest match.
I actually have lied about my weight once, but I figured it gave me an incentive to get in line with my weight loss goals. It’s terribly deceptive though. I am surprised with the 3 percent of respondents who’ve said they have lied about sexual orientation on dating sites–how does that work out in the end?
People worry so much about these little things that they create, either, the profile of a person that doesn’t exist or one of a person who’s shoes they will never be able to fill.
Guy’s who say they are 5′ 8” are usually up to 4-6 inches & shorter.
Guy’s who say they are 48 are usually over 50 – I had someone show up and I swear he was at least 60. That was offensive.
In my case I met a woman in a scam education help group she said she was 47 her profiles on date sites said the same also.
This made her 10 years older than me for many months she pulled this off, but when I found the real truth she was 20 years older than me. And her profiles was apart of a lie.
Her excuse was women lie about their age all the time. And she did not scam she just lied about her information.
From the real photos I saw later she had to pencil her eye brows 50 pounds over her photo, did not own a car and never had… all the lies unfolded.
Now I was dealing with a person I thought I knew but did not know.
I did not want to date a woman who was 20 years older than me, but she pulled a crule trick on me for some time… As a example her son who was 24 was now 34 yep some years was skipped along the line. I say I was scammed of real information.
MensHelpTv
I have found during the very little, and ineffective, on-line dating I did do, if I stated my actual height, (which is 5′6”) I never fit the parameters set by the women in their “preferred search”. In other words, when a woman lists their preferences they prefer men over 5′6”.
So after I failed to fit any matches I decided to do a little experiment. I began adding inches until I started falling into match categories. Still, no return messages.
So, I added a few more. Finally, after I reached 6′, I began to get responses.
“Hi, oh I love your profile”, “You seem like a really nice guy”, “I love your profile pic.” I even got a date!
Needless to say, I called them out on their epiphany. I found out first hand…WOMEN DO NOT DATE SHORT GUYS!
What really irked me, though, is most of the women who responded to my 6′ profile WERE LESS THAN 5′ TALL!
So much for on-line dating. Somehow I feel better being rejected in person rather than on line. It saves me the $99.95 yearly subscription fee!
Yes that is very true many male singles for example lie that they are 6 feet tall or over if they are 5′10 or 5′11 or shorter because it is a fact that women are more likely to get in contact with men who are over 6 foot. They will exaggerated on their profession such as being an employee to owning their own successful company and driving a fancy car, advice for men out there if you are going to lie make it a white lie, not a lie that you will be found out “my Ferrari is in the garage being fixed at the moment but how does the bus sound to you ? :/