Measuring love: Relational mobility promotes calculative mindset in mate choice

Abstract: In today’s China, people tend to break down their own and others’ profiles into numbers and ranks during the blind date process, using these indexes to find perfect matches. For example, a female with 7 points might be matched with a male with 7 points. This study aims to address the following questions: What social mentality is reflected in this phenomenon, and why does it occur? Firstly, the tendency is conceptualized as a calculative mindset in mate choice—a cognitive process that translates dating information into a quantitative index. Thereafter, the study proposes that individuals tend to adopt this strategy in mate choice due to the increasing relational mobility in contemporary Chinese society, viewed from a socio-ecological perspective. With the rise in relational mobility, individuals are endowed with the freedom to choose their soulmate as they wish. However, this also imposes a greater cognitive load on the decision-making process. Therefore, the calculative mindset, which transforms qualitative profiles into comparable and matchable quantitative numbers, becomes prominent.
Hypotheses were tested through studies combining both macro and micro levels, including nationwide large-scale online data, self-report questionnaires, and experimental manipulations in the lab. Study 1 (N = 44,703) utilized province-level statistical data from the nationwide statistical yearbook and online dating websites to preliminarily test our hypothesis on a macro scale across 31 provinces and regions. Specifically, the divorce-to-marriage rate was calculated to represent relational mobility, and the calculative mindset index was obtained based on self-introductions and mating requirements using text analysis with Python. Study 2 (N = 311) explored the questions at the individual level through questionnaires. It collected data on individuals’ perceptions of relational mobility in their current environment and their inclination to use a calculative mindset for cognitively processing both others’ profiles and their own in the mate choice process. In Study 3A (N = 130) and Study 3B (N = 132), which aimed to establish a causal relationship between variables, participants were induced with high or low relational mobility mindsets. Subsequently, they were asked to express their preferences regarding the use of graded profiles for assessing others and presenting themselves separately.
As for the results, using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), Study 1 revealed that regional relational mobility positively and significantly predicted individuals’ tendency to use quantified words in self-introductions and mating requirements, even after controlling for age, gender, education level, regional population, regional GDP, and regional residential mobility. Study 2 confirmed the hypotheses and identified a positive relationship between individuals’ perception of relational mobility and a calculative mindset in assessing others and themselves for aiding mating decisions. Lastly, Study 3 found that individuals primed with a high relational mobility mindset (versus a low relational mobility mindset) in laboratory settings were more inclined to use high grading profiles for choosing others (Study 3A) and presenting themselves (Study 3B), further confirming causality. In summary, the main hypothesis was confirmed through four studies conducted at varying levels, providing robust support for explaining the role of relational mobility in shaping a calculative mindset during mate choice.
This study initially introduced the concept of a calculative mindset in mate choice and revealed the driving forces of social transformation behind this phenomenon. It not only offers a novel perspective for comprehending the prevalent issue of mate selection in China but also enriches the theoretical understanding of the relational mobility research domain.