| Online
Dating Magazine > Columns > Dating
From the Inside Out > 76
 Dating From the Inside Out
by Susan
S. Davis
The
Science of Love Experiment
With
the advent of reality television, one of the more
favorite topics to cover, seems to be dating and
relationships. From the popular Blind Date series,
all the way to Cheaters, there is no end to the types
of shows that have been, and continue to be developed,
for cable, as well as local and national television.
As
more similar fare continues to be broadcast, from
Average Joe to Flavor of Love and its spin-off, I
Love New York, the dating show genre has grown exponentially,
based upon the sheer popularity demonstrated, by
the public.
Aside
from the well-known Bachelor series and the newer
Age of Love, a more scientifically-based show of
late, was NBC's one-hour special, Science of Love:
A Modern Dating Experiment, which attempted to discern
whether science can be applied to “true
love,” or if simple physical instinct and chemistry
would actually prevail.
Professional
football player, Adam Johnson, after completing intensive
scientific personality tests, selected one woman
out of fifty that had compatible profiles to his. Once
the video packages and personal questioning had been
completed, Adam chose one woman for a date, while simultaneously,
a second scientifically matched woman was presented
for his consideration. Johnson then went on dates with
both women, after which he decided if science or "instinct" produced
the better date match.
Internet
dating sites have begun to rely upon academic researchers
to develop a sort of “science
of attraction.” One of the more comprehensive dating
webistes, eHarmony, claims to have a “scientifically
proven” and patented Compatibility Matching System,
based upon the answers to an exhaustive 436-question
personality survey.
It
is pretty well understood, that scientists - even
those of the renowned variety, have never been viewed
as typically romantic “types” of
people. If there were anything to be learned about love
from scientific theories or algebraic equations, surely,
we would have been informed of that fact by now.
However,
there is at least one scientist who attempts to spin
tales of love around mathematical equations. Karl Iagnemma,
in a collection of intriguing stories, attempts to
defy all of the logic that he probably acquired while
training to become a robotics professor at MIT. To
navigate through the overwhelming quagmire of feelings,
which romantic involvements can create, he uses math
and science as poetic devices. Mathematical formulas,
scribblings and other textual items, are incorporated
between past and present stories of melancholy and
promise, all of which create a kind of lifeline extension,
for readers caught in the confusing mental state
of the lovelorn.
Iagnemma’s
protagonists, such as Henderson, a mathematics professor
involved in what seems to be the always problematic love
triangle, is put through his paces, as the writer demonstrates
what can happen when too much time is devoted to unrequited
love. As Iagnemma sways between centuries, he reminds
us that there will be many people in one’s life
that will never return love.
Throughout
the stories, using metaphor and scientific reasoning,
Iagnemma’s
characters learn about the depths of emotion in the heart,
and the limitations of the mind. Despite the presence
of gloom, a passionate fire is revealed in the characters,
in spite of it all.
The
BBC, in an experiment called the "Love Lab," from a research center at the
University of Washington in Seattle (the Relationship
Research Institute), attempts to demonstrate what scientists
have claimed is a model that can determine the success
or failure of a marriage, based upon mathematical calculations.
To
begin, after subjects fill out questionnaires to
identify personality types, they are then monitored
by equipment as to physical and emotional responses
during discussions on issues such as money, among
other controversial topics.
Suprisingly,
psychologist John Gottman, along with mathematicians
James Murray and Kristin Swanson, have reported predictions
of 94% accuracy. Even more startling, is the fact that
the predictions are based upon viewing the mere first
few moments of a conversation concerning an area of
marital contention.
The
initial model was designed using data collected from
videotaped conversations between couples, along with
physiological data, such as pulse rates, which was
collected and analyzed. Conversation patterns are
said to reflect underlying problems a couple may have,
which is the reason that the model is so predictive.
Given that communication is always cited as a determining
factor for successful relationships, it comes as no
surprise that one of the keys to the model’s success, is
deemed to be quantifying the ratio of positive to negative
interactions between the couples, during conversations.
The
success ratio is five to one, according to the model.
Any marriage that falls below that level may experience
problems. The mathematical model chart is what the
researchers refer to as the “Dow-Jones Industrial Average” of
marital conversation.
While
it may seem implausible to determine the success
or failure of a romantic union using the Relationship
Institute’s tactics,
four different studies have reportedly demonstrated
among approximately 500 different couples, that it
is, indeed possible, to predict the outcome of a
potential union, with a very high degree of over
90% accuracy overall.
Whether
or not science ultimately works better overall when
it comes to interpersonal relationships, remains
to be seen. However, as dating websites and services
continue to flourish, the importance and desire for
richly textured, successful romance, has never been
more evident.
Susan
S. Davis is a published book author
and writer, currently doing research for a romantic
screenplay she is writing. Her Dating
From The Inside Out column
is published every Tuesday.
> Get $79 Off a 3 Month Subscription to PerfectMatch.com!
 <
Offer only available via the above link. Sign up and save!
All
Online Dating Magazine content, including the content on this page,
is ©
copyright by Online Dating Magazine and may
not be
republished or reused in any form. You do have
full permission to link to this article.
Do you agree or disagree with this
article? Have
more to add? Submit a Letter
to the Editor today.
|
