People with unique dating profiles are rated as more attractive, intelligent and funny, study finds

When it comes to writing a dating profile, it may seem hard to stand out from the crowd.

But experts have worked out the best way to come across as more attractive – by getting creative with your words.

Researchers asked users of online dating sites to rate dating profiles, and found that those who used metaphors and more concrete information were rated as more attractive, intelligent and funny. 

For example, the team suggests that instead of writing ‘I am a very good cook’, you could use a metaphor and write ‘I am a star in the kitchen.’

Alternatively, you could jazz up ‘Food is essential for me’ by writing ‘Coffee and a cracker with cheese or jam are essential in my morning ritual’.

In the study, researchers from Tilburg University asked 1,234 users of online dating sites to evaluate the originality of texts from authentic dating profiles and rate the profile owner’s personality and attractiveness.

All 308 profiles were from dating sites aimed at the over-50s, and had the profile pictures blurred out.

Analysis revealed the owners of dating profiles that were deemed as more ‘original’ also tended to score higher on perceived intelligence, sense of humour, attractiveness, and likelihood of participants wanting to date them.

In general, participants agreed on which profiles they thought were ‘original’, and the researchers discovered these profiles often used stylistic features such as metaphors.

For example, instead of stating ‘I am a good cook’ it is more original to write ‘I am a star in the kitchen’.

People who also disclosed more concrete personal information in their profiles were deemed as more original.

Rather than writing ‘Food is essential for me’, saying something like ‘Coffee and a cracker with cheese or jam are essential in my morning ritual’ could be a better way of standing out, the researchers said.

Profiles that contained more information about the type of relationship or partner a person was looking for were also considered to be more original.

Writing in the journal Plos One the team, from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, said: ‘In online dating, the free-text component of dating profiles offers many opportunities to be original.

‘An original dating profile text can be effective to attract attention…and owners of these profiles might then have more success in attracting potential romantic partners.

‘Given our results, there seem to be at least two ways to increase perceptions of profile text originality: by disclosing more and concrete personal information, and by using stylistic features such as fixed and novel metaphors.’

Previous research suggests women are more willing to date men who used metaphorical language to complement their appearance than those using literal language.

For example, men who would say something like ‘Your eyes are shining stars’ rather than ‘You have beautiful eyes’ were thought to be more intelligent.

Meanwhile single people struggling to find love might want to consider getting a dog, according to a separate study.

Among dog owners in the UK, 42 per cent say they would be more likely to go on a date with someone who also has a dog.

Meanwhile one in eight say they would ‘swipe right’ to like someone on an online dating website if that person had a dog in their dating profile picture.