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The search for a life-long partner is finally moving out of the bars and online for the 755,000 Irish singles now actively seeking long-term relationships.
According to PARSHIP.ie, Ireland's first online matchmaking service for singles wanting a serious relationship, the search for a soulmate is moving out of bars and clubs and on to the net.
59% of Irish singles say they would sign up to an online dating service, but despite the extra choice and convenience of looking for love from your armchair, it can be tricky to get an idea about someone without real-life, face-to-face contact. The average online profile, with a six-year-old photo, and a self-description of being fun and attractive, provides little or no insight as to what the real person is like.
While you can't change the 'virtual' nature of internet dating, PARSHIP.ie takes the pot luck out of looking for love online. Designed for singles looking for a more systematic approach to finding committed partners, PARSHIP uses psychometric testing to cut through cyber-dating's potential superficiality.
Already Europe's largest and most successful serious online matchmaking service, with over 2.4 million members, PARSHIP draws its strength from its unique psychometric compatibility test and a methodology which ensures that its members are only matched with people who are genuinely right for them. It has successfully matched thousands of couples, resulting in numerous marriages and PARSHIP babies.
Derived from the theories of Jung and Freud, the testing uses simple questions to gauge the ways people think and interact with others. Parship's psychometric compatibility test has been developed by a team of leading scientists and psychologists from Hamburg University and is based on 40 years of research into 80,000 personality profiles. The test evaluates the characteristics, values and interests which determine the dynamics of a relationship. When an individual is matched with someone who has the right balance of similar and complementary characteristics, the outcome is more likely to lead to a lasting relationship.
Tony Blin-Stoyle, PARSHIP's UK and Ireland Director, commented:
"The psychometric test developed by PARSHIP is in some ways similar to the sort of personality profiles that many large companies now use to screen potential employees. However, in this case the idea is to look at those traits, attitudes, lifestyle habits and interests which are believed to determine compatibility in relationships."
Dr Victoria Lukats, psychiatrist and PARSHIP's dating and relationship expert explains how the test works:
"Many people believe that opposites attract, whereas others believe that similar personalities are compatible with one another. In fact, both these points of view can be valid, as research conducted over many years by leading psychologists has demonstrated. "
"For example, if an individual highly values domesticity or a high degree of emotional intimacy, then he or she would be well matched with a partner with similar values."
"For other characteristics, differing scores on the test can be acceptable, even desirable, although wildly opposing scores could spell disaster. A member who is extremely assertive in their communication style then they would not be well matched with someone who was similarly assertive as this could lead to a major clash of personalities. Likewise, an individual who is slightly shy might be drawn out of themselves by someone who is slightly more outgoing, whereas a complete introvert is less likely to be successfully matched with someone who is the complete opposite."
In addition to matching members through their personality profiles, members can also choose to specify what they are looking in a potential partner including age, height, location, whether they prefer a non-smoker and whether a potential partner already has children.
Overall the PARSHIP test has been shown to be an accurate reflection of an individual's personality and furthermore it has proven to be a highly successful method to help people find the love of their life.
It is currently FREE to subscribe to the PARSHIP.ie service. Subscriptions will start at EUR14 a month from June 2007.
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