Excess Bodyweight and Online Dating Markets

Last registered on December 05, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Excess Bodyweight and Online Dating Markets
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0017387
Initial registration date
December 02, 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
December 05, 2025, 9:39 AM EST

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Brandyn Churchill
Affiliation
American University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-12-05
End date
2026-04-05
Keywords
Behavior, Gender, Health
Additional Keywords
obesity, dating
JEL code(s)
J12, J15, J16
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Over the last two decades, the dating market has undergone a dramatic transformation. While most couples used to report meeting through friends, work, or other in-person social opportunities, more than half of all couples now report meeting online. Critics of online dating applications argue that they over-emphasize physical appearance at a time when nearly three quarters of adults are overweight. I will test this hypothesis through an online experiment where participants will be asked to evaluate a series of fictious dating profiles.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Churchill, Brandyn. 2025. "Excess Bodyweight and Online Dating Markets." AEA RCT Registry. December 05. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.17387-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-12-05
Intervention End Date
2026-02-05

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The project will separately examine how profile photo bodyweight influences how individuals assess the profile photos, the profile biography (i.e., a non-appearance measure), and the overall profile.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants will be asked to rate the profile biography, the profile photo, and the overall profile on a scale of 1-10, where participants can select integers and 10 is the maximum score. There will be variation in the profiles shown to participants.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Computer
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
There will be 800-1600 respondents, depending on budget constraints.
Sample size: planned number of observations
There will be 800-1600 respondents, depending on budget constraints.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
There will be 800-1600 respondents, depending on budget constraints.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB of American University
IRB Approval Date
2025-11-02
IRB Approval Number
IRB-2025-277
Analysis Plan

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