According to a study carried out in the early 2010s on millions of dating site profiles, our romantic choices are much less “open” than we think. Behind the talk about love without borders, the numbers tell another story: in online dating, people very often prefer those who are similar to them.
In January 2014, researchers from the University of California at Berkeley published a study in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture. They analyzed over a million profiles and messages exchanged on a large American dating site, between 2009 et 2010.
The observation is striking:
- THE white users, men and women combined, contact above all other white people.
- More than 8 out of 10 messages sent by white users are addressed to white people.
- Alone 3 % of these messages go to black people.
- Conversely, the black users are much more open : they are about ten times more likely to contact white people than the opposite.
In other words, contrary to popular belief, data does not show massive attraction of white women to black men, but above all a strong white preference for own group.
Men, women, straight, gay: not everyone chooses the same
The researchers also observed that gender and sexual orientation are game changers. Another study, published in 2015 and based on more than 9 million users, shows that:
- THE heterosexual white men and the white lesbian women are more open to interracial relationships.
- THE heterosexual white women and the white gay men remain more often in “between white” choices.
This shows that attraction is not just about race, but also about social norms specific to each group.
Preferences influenced by society
From the middle of 2000s, research conducted from sites like Yahoo! Personals had already observed a similar phenomenon. People clearly expressed their racial preferences, often by classifying possible partners according to their origin.
These choices do not fall from the sky. They reflect a racial hierarchy present in society, shaped by history, media and popular culture.
The weight of stereotypes
Attraction isn't just about skin color. It is also influenced by cultural stereotypes. Work carried out at the Columbia Business School show that certain widely held ideas play a role in desire.
For example, in Western societies, Black men are often perceived as more masculine or stronger. This image can, in certain contexts, appeal to certain women. But above all it is about cultural representations, no universal realities.
Love is not just about race
A study published in 2017 with American students brings another important nuance. It shows that attraction between people of different origins increases when:
- we are used to meeting diverse people,
- we adhere to multicultural values,
- we are exposed to mixed environments.
Conversely, some people who assert that “race doesn’t matter at all” may, paradoxically, have fewer interracial relationships.
What the studies really say
In summary, research shows that:
- THE racial preferences exist, especially in online dating.
- They mainly reflect social and cultural habits, not biological laws.
- THE white people mostly choose white people.
- THE blacks, statistically, contact and choose more varied partners.
Behind the numbers, individuals
Scientists are clear on one point: we cannot reduce love to a simple rule. Each story is unique. Personality, humor, values, life context often count much more than skin color.
Saying that “blondes are attracted to black men” may seem provocative or amusing, but that's not what the data shows. This type of assertion mainly maintains stereotypes, far from the complex reality of human relationships.
click here to access the journal publication: https://www.ovid.com/journals/ppmc/abstract/10.1037/a0035357~blackwhite-dating-online-interracial-courtship-in-the-21st
In the end, the figures speak less of “natural” desire than of society, culture… and our habits.
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