Overview

In this project, we examine the preferences, patterns of interaction, and communication between male and female users of the online dating site eHarmony over the past ten years to identify differences between the two genders in online dating behaviour. While other studies have investigated disparities in user behavior between male and female users, our study is unique in its longitudinal approach. Specifically, we will mine eHarmony’s user data and employ advanced statistical methods to determine whether online dating practices become more equal between the two genders or if biases and inequalities have remained constant (or increased). The second line of inquiry will determine whether courtship rituals online are learned over time.