According to a study by the University of Cologne, as reported by Zeit, political preferences are playing an ever greater role on dating apps. The research, conducted by Ansgar Hudde together with Shannon Taflinger, shows that young Americans largely reject potential partners with opposing political orientations.
For the study, 1,097 Americans aged 20 to 33 evaluated fictional dating profiles labeled either “Democrat,” “Republican,” or without any political affiliation. The result: “Young American men and women have little interest in getting to know people who think differently politically,” Hudde summarized. The rejection was evident across all dimensions surveyed – from intelligence and character traits to values and lifestyle.
The rejection was particularly strong among Democratic women: they rejected Republican profiles about four times as strongly as Republican women or men. Hudde explained that the study shows people jump to conclusions about other traits based on political orientation – “because in reality, people are usually not that stereotypical.”
Hudde also sees parallels to dating behavior in Germany. Although German society is less polarized than the US, and the multi-party system offers more gradations, “many people here are also likely to sort others out from the start for political reasons,” the sociologist told the German Press Agency.
Source: www.zeit.de
