Beliefs and Frictions in the Dating and Marriage Markets

Last registered on May 14, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Beliefs and Frictions in the Dating and Marriage Markets
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015952
Initial registration date
May 05, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 14, 2025, 10:09 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Indonesia
Region
Country
Singapore
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Naila Shofia
Affiliation
National University of Singapore
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Ao Wang
PI Affiliation
National University of Singapore
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-05-06
End date
2025-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Gender
Additional Keywords
dating, marriage, matching
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Family formation and marital patterns are central to labor and demographic economics, yet the impact of information asymmetry (friction) on mating success remains understudied. This project investigates three dimensions of friction in the dating and marriage markets: differences in emphasis males and females place on ideal partner traits and the discrepancies in their beliefs about the opposite sex's preferences, the intertemporal inconsistencies in mating preferences, and belief recall biases affecting an individual’s ability to accurately define their ideal partner, ex-ante. The project studies these frictions through a speed-dating exercise and a beliefs elicitation experiment.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Shofia, Naila and Ao Wang. 2025. "Beliefs and Frictions in the Dating and Marriage Markets." AEA RCT Registry. May 14. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15952-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-05-06
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1) Binary indicator for whether one of the profiles from each pair shown is selected by the respondent
2) Preference intensity measure on a scale from 1 to 6, where lower values indicate stronger preference for one profile in the pair and higher values indicate stronger preference for the other profile in the pair
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Response time (measured in seconds)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In this study, participants are presented with pairs of hypothetical dating profiles and asked to select their preferred potential partner from each pair. We randomize all characteristics across these profiles to obtain unbiased estimates of how each attribute influences partner preferences in the dating and marriage markets. (Please refer to the pre-analysis plan for further details.)
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization of profiles displayed is done through code within the survey platform.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
NA
Sample size: planned number of observations
We will target 2,500 respondents from the Singapore general population, and comparable numbers in other countries (TBD).
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
NA
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
National University of Singapore IRB
IRB Approval Date
2024-05-12
IRB Approval Number
NUS-IRB-2023-616
IRB Name
KEP FEB University of Indonesia
IRB Approval Date
2023-11-16
IRB Approval Number
035/UN2.F6.D2.LPM/PPM.KEP/2023
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials