Scientists have determined which people are less selective in choosing a partner

An international team of scientists led by Dita Kubin found that people with a less clear sense of self are less discriminating when evaluating potential romantic partners. The work was published in the journal Self & Identity.

Compatibility plays a key role in the success of relationships. Research shows that similarity in attitudes and personality traits contributes to smoother and more positive interactions. However, in order to assess compatibility, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of one's own qualities and values.

Researchers examined whether low self-concept clarity (SCC) affects the ability to assess compatibility with potential partners. Previous research has shown that people with low SCC experience difficulties in assessing similarity in consumer choices, but this is the first study to test whether this effect extends to partner selection.

The study involved 758 people aged 18 to 40 who were single and interested in dating. Participants first completed a self-concept clarity scale, which assesses how well and confidently they understand their own personality traits, values, and beliefs. Self-esteem was also measured to exclude its influence on the results.

Next, participants were shown a series of fake dating profiles created based on their responses. The profiles were gender-neutral and contained key traits and attitudes that systematically varied in their degree of similarity to participants' responses. Participants were asked to rate the attractiveness and compatibility with each potential partner.

In all four experiments, people with low SCC were less selective when evaluating partners, especially if the profile demonstrated moderate or low similarity. Those with high self-concept clarity were more selective about potential partners, showing a clear preference for highly compatible profiles and more often rejecting less compatible candidates. The level of SCC did not affect the perception of highly compatible partners - both people with high and low SCC rated them positively.

In the final experiment, it was also found that people with low SCC were not only less selective but also showed less confidence in their evaluations of potential partners. This suggests that an unclear understanding of oneself makes it difficult to assess compatibility and makes choices less confident.

The study authors note that the use of artificial profiles may limit the generalizability of results to real-life dating, as in real life, partner choice is also influenced by physical attraction, communication style, and social context. Nevertheless, the results show that a clear understanding of oneself helps people make more confident and conscious choices in relationships.