The Influence of “What Will They Say?” in Mate Selection. a Comparative Analysis of Speed Dating Observations Broadcast Live on a Spanish Radio Channel

The study of preferences in mate selection has experienced a significant qualitative leap due to the development and proliferation of dating platforms and applications that allow for the collection of a large volume of real-time observations, rather than retrospective data obtained through interviews or direct testimony from participants. However, the matches facilitated by these apps are determined by algorithms that function as black boxes, inscrutable to the external social researcher, which in our own view greatly conditions subsequent analyses. This study aims to overcome this obstacle by collecting an extensive corpus of 230 speed-dating events and 2,254 questions recorded live on a well-known Spanish FM morning show of a Spanish FM radio, where participants question each other for one minute to decide whether they want to meet in person. These questions have been treated as responses to a hypothetical questionnaire about what issues are important to raise in order to secure that face-to-face date while maintaining a personal image that the speaker considers appropriate for the context. Participants' interactions are evaluated by the radio audience through comments submitted via messaging and social media. With these interactions, we have: 1) applied quantitative techniques to establish intergender comparisons in the preferences of heterosexual men and women; 2) confirmed the influence of “what will they say?” or the “generalized other,” according to the concept coined by Herbert Mead; and 3) illustrated how interaction rituals, in Goffman’s terminology, and public image strategies change when participants are aware of the presence of a large audience. The results demonstrate the adaptation of participants’ preferences to the context and the gender differences in the attributes they consider relevant, a priori, when starting a romantic relationship.