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Dating Survey: Women on Finding "The One"

Perception vs. reality: What do women really value the most?

By Yahoo! Personals & TheKnot.com Updated: Sep 13, 2009
Dating woman finds the one
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When asked, how did you meet your significant other, the most frequent response was "through friends," followed by "school," "work" or "an online dating site." Among the least cited responses were "at a bar" or "at church."
When asked how you expected to meet your significant other, responses varied from the reality, with the largest majority of respondents saying they expected to meet through a "casual encounter."
Do Opposites Attract?
When asked, how similar they were to their significant other in some fundamental areas,
“respondents overwhelming said they were similar in all but one area -- their profession.”
respondents overwhelming said they were similar in all but one area -- their profession. The following percentages represent those who said they were "very similar" or "similar" with their significant other in each of the categories.
  • Social life - 90%
  • Age - 89%
  • Ethnicity - 87%
  • Family orientation/closeness - 85%
  • Politics - 85%
  • Religion - 84%
  • Work/life habit - 83%
  • Income - 70%
  • Profession - 38%
What Matters Most
When asked, which of the following characteristics was most important when searching for your significant other, respondents ranked "family orientation/ closeness" as the most important and "income" as the least important. The following percentages represent how respondents ranked each characteristic in order of importance.
  • Family orientation/closeness - 44%
  • Religion - 17%
  • Social life - 16%
  • Work life habit - 11%
  • Age - 5%
  • Ethnicity - 3%
  • Profession - 2%
  • Politics - 1%
  • Income - 1%
Relationship Stages - Meeting Online vs. Offline
When comparing respondents who met online with the ones who met their significant other offline, an interesting trend emerged.
“The online daters reached "relationship milestones" more quickly than those who met offline.”
The online daters reached "relationship milestones" more quickly than those who met offline.
Initial Dating - Online daters began dating more quickly than offline daters, with 77% saying they started dating within the first four weeks of meeting each other, compared to 50% of offline daters.
Feeling Chemistry - More than half (55%) of all respondents said they felt chemistry with their significant other in the first two weeks. But, 30% of those who met offline said it took between "six months" and "two or more years" to feel chemistry, compared with only 5% of online daters, who were more likely to feel chemistry earlier on.
Understanding Interests - Online daters (60%) said they had a better understanding of their significant other in the first four weeks of dating than offline daters (41%).
Getting Exclusive - Online daters got exclusive more quickly than offline daters - 80% compared with 56% in the first three months, or 52% vs. 32% in the first month, respectively.
Getting Family "Buy-In" - 45% of online daters got "buy-in" within three months of dating; whereas only 31% of offline daters did.
Engagement - Online daters got engaged more quickly - more than two-thirds (70%) of online daters were engaged in less than two years, whereas more than half (55%) of offline daters got engaged after more than two years.
Marriage - Online daters married more quickly - 38% were married within two years of engagement, while 62% of offline daters married after more than two years of being engaged.
Do You Believe in Magic?
Love at First Site - Two-thirds (64%) of all respondents said they didn't experience love at first site, with only one-third (36%) saying they were hit with Cupid's arrow.
Leaving It to Fate - An overwhelming 78% of people said they felt like they were fated for their significant other; 22% said it was just "pure chance."
First Kiss - Slightly more than half (54%) said they kissed on their first date.
Separate Quarters? - A majority of respondents (70%) said they will live with their significant other before getting married.
Survey Methodology
Yahoo! Personals and TheKnot.com polled 9,500 adults in North America during March 2008. Ninety-eight percent of the respondents were female. Complete survey results are available to members of the media and can be obtained by requesting them by email.
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Leave a comment COMMENTS17 COMMENTS
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No Photo
I would Like a man whos in his mid 20&#39;s and who is hella romantic and pollite to my parents and my brother and who will treat me with respect
A Yahoo! Contributor
this is an interesting survey. I wonder how much of it is actually true, or if the participans were telling the truth, or not, due to their significant others finding out
No Photo
This is a very interesting Survey but really how much of it is actually true now that&#39;s what I wonder about it ya know.
A Yahoo! Contributor
Interesting comments. I think everyone should focus on setting expectations in themselves to feel content and happy with who they are. It is then that you will attract the &#39;right&#39; person for you because when you respect yourself and care about the person you are than you instantly refuse to meet a person that will make you feel otherwise. Things will fall into place when you truly feel stable and content. However, sometimes it takes poor relationships to help you focus on what is most important- healing then from healing comes true happiness. Its not about focusing on what you dont want but on what you do want. We naturally expect in ourselves of what we expect in others. So if we dont tend ourselves we will find others that drain us down.
Roy
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Roy
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No Photo
I agree with a prior comment. When & if you can put the type of love your lookin for, into yourself and truly believe that you are worth that amount of love, can & will that (the one) special thing happen or person happen!!!!! TRUTH
A Yahoo! Contributor
Don&#39;t believe a word of this
Diana
I don&#39;t know if this really true or not. I have most of the men I have met online are looking for one thing only! I know how it sounds, but is soo true. Would love to meet the love of my life onliine at the market in church. where it is is not important to me.
A Yahoo! Contributor
nice artickel
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