Book: A Perfect Match? The Psychology of Online Dating | Consonance (Gleichklang)

Inhalt

Knowledge Resource: The Psychology of Online Dating | Consonance (Gleichklang)

About This Knowledge Resource

This knowledge resource provides psychological knowledge on the psychology of online dating and relationships. The goal is to offer well-founded guidance, make connections understandable, and enable readers to engage deeply with central questions of partner search, relationship design, and relationship maintenance. All content is provided here freely accessible so that members and interested parties can engage with the topic regardless of financial means. The book is also available as an e-book through Amazon and as a printed book. The version published here serves open access to knowledge and is explicitly not intended as a sales format.

About Myself and My Professional Background

I am Guido F. Gebauer, psychologist, co-founder of Consonance (Gleichklang), and author of the book A Perfect Match? – Online Partner Search from a Psychological Perspective. I completed my psychology studies at Humboldt University of Berlin and my doctorate at the University of Cambridge. For over twenty years, I have been engaged scientifically and practically with the psychology of partner search and relationships. This includes, among other things, the analysis of relationship trajectories, the evaluation of extensive datasets, the development and further refinement of matching algorithms at Consonance, and psychological support for individuals in the context of dating coaching.

Relationship to Consonance and Editorial Independence

The psychology of partner search has been particularly close to my heart since my studies. Consonance enables me to focus completely and independently on the psychological aspects that I consider relevant and to present them as they emerge according to my professional assessment. The content published here is created without editorial specifications or influence from the platform. I share my findings, classifications, and conclusions openly with all readers. Consonance provides the organizational and financial framework for this without determining the editorial direction. Parts of my psychological classifications and analyses I also publish additionally on the relationship blog of Consonance (Gleichklang) as well as on a YouTube channel on the psychology of partner search and relationships.

Content Focus of the Book

The book provides an in-depth look at psychological questions of partner search and shows how it can be approached meaningfully and successfully designed. It also addresses the question of how relationships can be built, maintained, and further developed. Readers are systematically introduced to relationship psychology, learn about different forms of love, and are encouraged to engage in self-reflection. A focus lies on understanding the central psychological mechanisms that play a role in partner search, getting to know each other, and the further course of the relationship.

Online Dating, Platforms, and Search Strategies

Another central focus is on the psychology of online dating. The book explains the functional logics and effects of various dating formats – from dating apps and dating sites to matchmaking services. It illustrates how different dating situations influence perception, decision-making processes, and emotional responses. A dedicated chapter explains by which criteria it can be assessed whether a platform fits one’s own personality, goals, and values.

Special Life Situations and Target Groups

The book also addresses specific life situations and topics, including partner search at an older age, with illnesses or disabilities, with different gender identities, as well as with ethical and ideological convictions. These aspects are classified in the context of general psychological mechanisms that have a particular impact in certain groups.

Dealing with Challenges and Risks

Another focus is on the question of which attitudes and behaviors can concretely make partner search successful and how people can protect themselves from disappointment, overwhelm, and harmful experiences. Phenomena such as Ghosting, Breadcrumbing, Catfishing, Love-Scamming, and other distressing dynamics of online dating are addressed. At the same time, it is shown how confidence, self-regulation, and realistic expectations can be maintained in order to shape the partner search constructively and purposefully.

From Getting to Know Each Other to a Stable Relationship

Finally, it is not only about finding a relationship, but about shaping relationships to be viable and satisfying in the long term. The book therefore devotes extensive attention to the question of how relationship happiness can be built, maintained, and further developed. The concluding chapter presents concrete strategies and possibilities with which couples can consciously design their relationship and stabilize it permanently.