One-third of US marriages start online_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

One-third of US marriages start online

Among couples who were still married during the survey, those who met online reported higher marital satisfaction - an average score of 5.64 on a satisfaction survey -than those who met offline and averaged 5.48.

The lowest satisfaction rates were reported by people who met through family, work, bars or clubs, or blind dates.

"These data suggest that the Internet may be altering the dynamics and outcomes of marriage itself," Cacioppo said.

"It is possible that individuals who met their spouse online may be different in personality, motivation to form a long-term marital relationship, or some other factor."

But not all experts believe that online dating translates into instant bliss.

Eli Finkel, a professor of social psychology at Northwestern University, led an extensive review of the science published about online dating last year.

He said he agreed with the proportions found in the PNAS study. His research showed about 35 percent of relationships now start online.

"The overreach occurs when the authors conclude that meeting a partner online is better than meeting a partner through offline avenues," Finkel said.

"Nobody's surprised when a minuscule effect reaches statistical significance with a sample of 20,000 people, but it's important that we don't misunderstand 'statistical significance' to mean 'practical significance'."

According to New York City psychologist and author Vivian Diller, the seven-year study was too short to assess the long-term outcomes of relationships that begin online.