Tinder survey says men and women misinterpret what they want from dating apps

A new Tinder study revealed that men and women have misconceptions about what the other wants out of dating apps.

The Green Flags Study released Wednesday polled 8,000 heterosexual men and women between 18-34 year old across the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia to better understand what users think about the opposite sex. Researchers learned that both men and women who identify as straight are quick to make assumptions about what the other actually want out of the dating app.

The majority of male (53%) and female (68%) responders said they are seeking a romantic relationship, the report shared. However, 65% of women believe that men are strictly looking for casual flings. Among the straight men who responded, only 29% said they were looking for casual flings.

Meanwhile, over half of men believe less than half of women are looking for a romantic relationship, according to the study.

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Survey says users often misinterpret green flags

The report also suggested that straight users find themselves in an "Assumptions Epidemic" where they misinterpret green flags and red ones.

"Both genders seem to be on the same page when it comes to relationship goals and interests — they just don’t know it. Instead, both men and women respondents indicated that they jump to conclusions about what the other one actually wants—and then build narratives around those assumptions," the report stated.

Another example would be how men expect women will focus on factors like height or job title when viewing their profiles. Yet only 34% of the women who responded considered height a major factor and 31% for job title, showing that it's not the "make-or-breaks" considerations men perceive it to be.

"These misunderstood beliefs create specific narratives before one’s finger even hits the screen—making it much harder to see potential matches for what they are: a surplus of possibility," the study said.

Other key insights

Tinder's report also offered other key insights based of the responders including the following:

  • 84% of women and 78% of men mutually seek equal partnership and traditional romance

  • 59% of women and 38% of men find it chivalrous to ensure your date gets home safely

  • 55% of women and 35% of men value sincere compliments

  • 55% of women and 34% of men prefer putting phones away during one-on-one dates

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tinder survey exposes misconceptions men and women have on each other