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About eHarmony
Company Overview
In 1997, after 35 years practising as a clinical psychologist and counselling thousands of married couples, Dr. Neil Clark Warren suspected that there was a better way to find love than simply leaving it to chance. He knew from his experience in clinical work that although some American marriages were ending in divorce, many others were deeply satisfying unions of two fulfilled individuals. He observed that, in many cases, the marriages that endured were composed of compatible people, while marriages that deteriorated often did so because the differences between the individuals became harder to resolve over time. What if he could define the traits that are most likely to lead to relationship success? Could certain characteristics predict compatibility and lead to more satisfying relationships?
Dr. Warren set out to test this theory in collaboration with Dr. Galen Buckwalter, then a research professor at the University of Southern California in the United States. They sought to identify the characteristics between spouses that were consistently associated with the most successful relationships. After three years of research and development, they successfully identified the key dimensions of personality and attitudes that predicted both compatibility and also the potential for long-term relationship success.
eHarmony launched in the United States in 2000 and is now also available in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. It is regarded as the #1 Trusted Relationship Services Provider in the USA. eHarmony's patented Compatibility Matching System™ allows eHarmony members to be matched with compatible people with whom they are likely to enjoy a long-term relationship. Millions of people of all ages, ethnicities, national origins and religious and political beliefs have used eHarmony's Compatibility Matching System to find compatible long-term relationships. Over 19 million people are now registered on eHarmony and, in the United States, an average of 236 eHarmony members marry every day as a result of being matched on the site.* That’s around 2.5% of all US marriages!
eHarmony remains committed to investigating and understanding what makes long-term relationships successful by conducting ongoing, rigourous scientific research to keep the matcing model up-to-date and relevant for the geographical markets in which eHarmony operates. Dr. Buckwalter retired from eHarmony in 2008 and continues to serve as a trused advisor and key member of the Research Advisory Board. Although Dr. Warren is no longer involved in the day-to-day management of eHarmony, he is Chairman of the Board and plays a vital role in the business, advising management and inspiring millions of users with his strong belief in the power of healthy, long-term relationships.
eHarmony in the United Kingdom
Before launching eHarmony in the United Kingdom in 2008, the company adopted the same processes of scientific rigour that have served it so well in the United States. In 2007, under the direction of Dr. Buckwalter, eHarmony partnered with researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. A multi-disciplinary research team gathered data from approximately 1,000 married couples selected to be representative of married couples throughout the United Kingdom. These couples ranged in age from 19 to 81 and had been married from under 1 year to over 65 years. eHarmony researchers analysed the data to identify the patterns that predict compatibility for couples throughout the United Kingdom. While research shows there are many aspects unique to relationships in the United Kingdom, it is interesting to note that there are also similarities in what determines successful relationships in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
After conducting the research, eHarmony developed models of compatibility specific to the United Kingdom resident population and is proud to offer you the opportunity to use its highly successful service. If you are looking for relationship success, we invite you to try eHarmony.
About Oxford Internet Institute
The Oxford Internet Institute (OII) was founded as a department of the University of Oxford in 2001. The OII is a leading world centre for the multidisciplinary study of the Internet and society, focusing on Internet-related research and teaching, and on informing policy-making and practice. The OII's research faculty, academic visitors and research associates are engaged in a variety of research projects covering social, economic, political, legal, industrial, technical and ethical issues of the Internet in everyday life, governance and democracy, science and learning, and shaping the Internet.
*Harris Interactive Study, 2007
