Why seeing fewer profiles can lead to better dating decisions
When it comes to online dating, more choice can sound like an obvious advantage. If you can see hundreds of people, surely you have a better chance of finding someone right for you?
Research suggests it may not be that simple.
At CitySwoon, we show members a smaller, thoughtfully selected group of profiles at a time. It isn’t because we want dating to feel limited. It’s because endless choice can change how people make decisions, and not always for the better.
Endless swiping can make us more likely to reject
A 2025 experiment asked 401 people to evaluate either 11, 31 or 91 dating profiles. As the number of profiles increased, the proportion accepted fell and participants experienced greater choice overload.
That doesn’t mean 11 is a magic number for every person or dating platform. It does suggest that the apparent size of the pool can change how people evaluate each individual profile, supporting the idea of presenting potential matches in smaller, more manageable groups. Read the study by Thomas, Binder and Matthes.
Another series of three studies found that people became progressively more likely to reject potential partners as they continued viewing profiles. On average, the likelihood of accepting someone fell by 27% from the beginning to the end of the selection process.
The researchers described this as a “rejection mind-set”. As participants continued, they became less satisfied with the profiles and more pessimistic about their chances of finding someone. In two of the studies, much of the early change happened across roughly the first dozen choices. Read the research by Pronk and Denissen.
More choice can also reduce satisfaction
The effect may continue even after someone has made a choice.
In a separate online-dating experiment, people selected a potential partner from either six or 24 profiles. One week later, those who had chosen from the larger group were less satisfied with their selection and more likely to change it. Read the study by D’Angelo and Toma.
This doesn’t mean that more options are always harmful. A meta-analysis covering 99 results and 7,202 participants found that choice overload depends heavily on context. It is more likely when the options are complicated, the decision is difficult, people are uncertain about what they want, or considerable effort is required to compare alternatives. Read the choice-overload meta-analysis.
Choosing someone you might date is, of course, a complex and personal decision. That makes the research especially relevant to the way dating platforms present potential matches.
Why CitySwoon takes a smaller-group approach
We would rather help you give a thoughtful selection of people genuine consideration than encourage you to race through an apparently endless feed.
A smaller group makes it easier to:
- Pay attention to the whole profile, not just the first photograph.
- Consider whether someone could complement your life.
- Avoid slipping into an automatic pattern of rejection.
- Take a break and return with fresh eyes.
- Treat each profile as a real person rather than another item in a catalogue.
New profiles appear over time, so a smaller group does not mean fewer opportunities. It means presenting those opportunities at a pace designed to support better decisions.
No algorithm can decide who you will connect with, and no group size can guarantee a match. But thoughtful matching should also include thoughtful presentation.
Sometimes, seeing fewer people at once helps us see each person more clearly.