Date and Rate - The effects of a 5-star rating system in dating apps on target trustworthiness and intrinsic motivation

Abstract: The dating app industry is currently experiencing tremendous growth in the number of users. Simultaneously, ratings are becoming common practice on various platforms to communicate the reliability and trustworthiness of their users. While the effects of ratings have been the subject of countless previous studies, ratings in the dating app context remain neglected. The main purpose of this study is therefore to determine the effect of a 5-star rating system on target trustworthiness and contrast it with the suggested undermining effects on intrinsic motivation as a result of measurement in enjoyable activities. By using two quantitative experimental studies, we show that high ratings indeed increase the perceived trustworthiness of a user. Additionally, we find that the exposure to rating systems affects intrinsic motivation negatively as it makes the dating app activity seem more like work and less fun. However, we find no significant evidence of its effect on enjoyment. The studies also find that the difficulty of choosing among available profiles increases with the presence of ratings for women, but has the inverse effect for men, and that less attractive dating profiles increases trustworthiness.