Randomized trial investigates religiosity's impact on women's receptivity to male profiles in online dating.
Popular online dating platforms such as Tinder structure mate evaluation through rapid, appearance-based evaluations of potential mates using limited visual and textual cues. Facial masculinity is a putative cue to genetic fitness, yet it is also associated with short-term mating strategies and reduced perceived trustworthiness. Similarly, biographic content may provide cues to either trustworthy or deceptive intentions. The current study investigated whether religiosity, a construct associated with sexual restraint and long-term mating motives, predicts women’s early-stage receptivity to men’s online dating profiles in a simulated Tinder-style task. Cisgender women primarily attracted to men (N = 439) accepted or rejected male profiles varying in facial sexual dimorphism (masculinised vs. feminised) and biographic trustworthiness (high vs. low warranting value and selective self-presentation). Profiles with feminised faces were accepted more often, whereas profiles with untrustworthy biographies were favoured. Greater religiosity predicted higher overall acceptance, suggesting that religious women may show a broader initial receptivity to potential partners in online contexts. Exploratory analyses revealed that women endorsing goal-driven/relational Tinder use accepted fewer profiles, whereas entertainment/exploratory motives had no significant effect. These findings highlight how visual, textual, and individual-difference factors shape early-stage decision-making in gamified digital dating environments.
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Sheetz et al. (2026) studied this question.
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