TRUE Psychological Studies Department Research and Scientific Methods
Validated by Its Peers
DALLAS, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the guesswork is further removed
from the ever stressful search for romantic love, after an online relationship
site shares new scientific findings, which put science where the heart is.
Further confirming its claim as the only online dating service to employ
truly scientific methods in determining romantic compatibility among singles,
TRUE, today announced that its research paper on the validity of online
matchmaking tests will be published in the December issue of the North
American Journal of Psychology, a progressive academic journal that covers a
wide range of issues and topics related to the field of psychology.
While many online dating services advertise that their matching methods
are "scientifically based" and are capable of identifying better matches for
members than other services, virtually none of them provide evidence to
support these claims. Moreover, for those few services that do provide some
evidence, the quality of such evidence is questionable, pointing to both
conceptual and technical problems with test variables, research design and
sampling biases.
Spearheaded by TRUE's chief psychological officer, Dr. James Houran, the
paper, entitled "Do Online Matchmaking Tests Work? An Assessment of
Preliminary Evidence for a Publicized 'Predictive Model of Marital Success,'"
is the first academic publication to explore the growing acceptance of online
matchmaking as a scientifically legitimate approach to mate selection. The
paper further explores the claims of several online dating sites that their
services and testing methods derived from scientific foundations.
"While we're pleased to see that other online dating services are
following TRUE's lead and finally coming forward with information on their
testing methods, our findings indicate that none of the publicized methods are
scientifically based upon modern testing guidelines and principals," said
Houran. "Unlike ours, these tests have not been independently certified by a
third party organization to meet professional testing standards."
"This is, to my knowledge, the first study of its kind in the now popular
area of online compatibility testing," said Dr. Lynn McCutcheon, Editor in
Chief for the North American Journal of Psychology. "We have great respect for
Dr. Houran's methodology and always have found his work to be scientifically
sound and his writing to be first class."
"By publishing our findings in the North American Journal of Psychology,
we hope to continue setting the industry standard for online compatibility
testing and encourage other online dating services to validate their systems
and release their findings to the public. We believe this paper will
facilitate the development of more error-free, higher quality matching
systems, as well as enable the public to make more informed decisions about
which services to register for."
Based on modern scientific test construction methods, the True
Compatibility Test (TCT) employs advanced statistical techniques similar to
those used in such well-known achievement tests as the GRE, LSAT and MCAT.
Testing experts at the renowned psychometric evaluation firm Integrated
Knowledge Systems, Inc., have independently certified that the TCT complies
with the rigorous Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.
Dr. Houran, the psychology chops behind the TCT, is an author, educator
and 14-year veteran in the field of research and clinical psychology. As
well, he is an accomplished author, with work published in some of the most
respected psychology and psychiatry journals. Previously, Dr. Houran served as
an instructor of clinical psychiatry at Southern Illinois School of Medicine.
He received a doctorate in psychology from Adelaide University, a master in
clinical psychology from University of Illinois, Springfield, and bachelor's
in psychology from Benedictine University.
About TRUE
TRUE is a safer, savvy, and the only scientifically-based online
relationship service whose mission is to help singles find long lasting and
fulfilling relationships. Founded on an advanced, scientific compatibility
test uniquely endorsed by Psychology Today and independently certified by one
of the leading experts in tests and measurements -Integrated Knowledge
Systems, Inc. -- to meet the Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing, TRUE is the only online relationship service that actively seeks to
further protect the safety of its communicating members by conducting
extensive criminal background screenings. Moreover, TRUE is the only site to
conduct single verification screening. With the help of proprietary research
and the industry's most extensive team of scientists, relationship experts and
psychologists, TRUE also guides its members step-by-step through all stages of
the relationship-building process.
To find out more about how TRUE helps people around the world Live, Love
and Learn(TM), please visit http://www.TRUE.com .
SOURCE TRUE
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CONTACT:
Milly Navarro, Ogilvy Public Relations
Worldwide, +1-214-704-7504, or Milly.Navarro@ogilvypr.com; or
Taylor L. Cole, APR of TRUE, +1-972-333-4343, or
Taylor.Cole@TRUE.com
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