Despite bad publicity faced by Facebook, OKCupid published results of three experiments it recently conducted on users.
In one test, it obscured profile pictures, in another it hid profile text to see how it affected personality ratings, and in a third, it told some hopeful daters that they were a better or worse potential match with someone than the company’s software actually determined.
According to the NY Times, OKCupid’s user agreement says that when a person signs up for the site, personal data may be used in research and analysis. Its president said the tests were done to determine how people can get the most from the site.
It is not known how many of these manipulated matches may have turned into real-life dates, and the data suggest that the highest rate of communication happened between people who were good matches and were told they were good matches.
