• DOI:10.1177/1948550614522303
• Corpus ID: 44620235

Matchmaking Promotes Happiness

@article{Anik2014MatchmakingPH,
  title={Matchmaking Promotes Happiness},
  author={Lalin Anik and Michael I. Norton},
  journal={Social Psychological and Personality Science},
  year={2014},
  volume={5},
  pages={644 - 652}
}

• Lalin Anik, M. Norton
• Published 10 February 2014
• Psychology
• Social Psychological and Personality Science

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 how well they will get along increases 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.