Can a fake match percentage actually make people like each other?
In short: In a bold A/B test, OkCupid researchers used a placebo match score to manipulate user connections. The results revealed a startling psychological truth: when we are told we are a good match, we begin to act as if we truly are.
The foundations of OkCupid lie in the experimental spirit of its creators—Chris Coyne, Christian Rudder, Sam Yagan, and Max Krohn. Originally students at Harvard University, the group had already gained recognition for SparkNotes before developing the platform. Their approach to dating was rooted in the scientific method, often using the site as a laboratory for social psychology. One notable experiment, conducted on January 15, 2013, known as "Love is Blind Day," involved removing profile pictures entirely to see if users would focus on personality. The results showed that once photos were restored, the momentum of those "blind" conversations began to taper off, a phenomenon co-founder Christian Rudder likened to turning on the bright lights at a bar at midnight.
Beyond photo removal, the platform tested the power of suggestion through match algorithms. In one A/B test, the company used a placebo number instead of a user's true match percentage. The findings suggested that the mere perception of compatibility could drive attraction; users who were actually "bad matches" started to like each other simply because the platform suggested they were a good fit.
However, the platform's data-driven nature has also faced scrutiny. In 2014, OkCupid shared user images with the startup Clarifai to build a facial database without explicit user consent, a matter that led to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in March 2026. Additionally, while the site has expanded to include over 60 identity options for LGBTQ+ users, including 20 sexual orientations and 22 gender options, the move toward using real first names in 2017 sparked fears of doxing and harassment, particularly given the site's culture of sharing intimate personal details.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: OkCupid
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