User Behaviors, User Engagement, and Consequences

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Paper Type

Completed

Paper Number

2534

Description

Online matching platforms require new approaches to market design since firms can now control many aspects of search and interaction process through various IT-enabled features. While choice capacity—the size of choice set and the number of choices a platform offers to its customers—is one of the key design features of online matching platforms, there has been lack of understanding of its impact on engagement and matching outcomes. In this study, we examine the effect of different choice capacities on the number of choices and matches on the platform by conducting a randomized field experiment in collaboration with an online dating platform. We find that providing higher choice capacities to male and female users have different effect on choice behaviors and matching outcomes. We find that while increasing the choice capacity of male users yields the highest number of choices, increasing the choice capacity of female users turns out to be the most effective way to increase matching outcomes.

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Dec 14th, 12:00 AM

Are More Choices Better? Examining the Impact of Choice Capacity in Online Dating Platform

Online matching platforms require new approaches to market design since firms can now control many aspects of search and interaction process through various IT-enabled features. While choice capacity—the size of choice set and the number of choices a platform offers to its customers—is one of the key design features of online matching platforms, there has been lack of understanding of its impact on engagement and matching outcomes. In this study, we examine the effect of different choice capacities on the number of choices and matches on the platform by conducting a randomized field experiment in collaboration with an online dating platform. We find that providing higher choice capacities to male and female users have different effect on choice behaviors and matching outcomes. We find that while increasing the choice capacity of male users yields the highest number of choices, increasing the choice capacity of female users turns out to be the most effective way to increase matching outcomes.

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