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Article Social Psychological & Personality Science Matchmaking Promotes Happiness |
Four studies document and explore the psychology underlying people's proclivity to connect people to each other—to play "matchmaker." First, Study 1 shows that chronic matchmaking is associated with higher well-being. Studies 2 and 3 show that matching others on the basis of how well they will get along leads to a greater increase in happiness and is more intrinsically rewarding than other tasks (e.g., deciding which people would not get along). Study 4 investigates a moderator of the rewarding nature of matchmaking: the type of connection. We show that bridging ties are relatively more attractive than bonding ties: the more unlikely the match, the more rewarding it is. Taken together, these studies provide correlational and causal evidence for the role of matchmaking in promoting happiness.
Keywords: Happiness; Relationships;
Anik, Lalin, and Michael I. Norton. "Matchmaking Promotes Happiness." Social Psychological & Personality Science 5, no. 6 (August 2014): 644–652.
