Review: Chemistry.com
Posted Under: Dating for Men,Dating Strategies,Online Dating
Chemistry.com is an unusual and entertaining matchmaking site. It starts off with a personality test designed by Dr. Helen Fisher and which has been featured on TV shows such as 20/20 and Good Morning America.
The test is fun and enlightening. It starts off with a series of screens, each one containing one or two questions, and occasionally a puzzle or picture. You simply answer each question and then move on to the next screen.
Some of the questions are highly unusual, such as “Is your index finger shorter or longer than your ring finger?” or “Which of these smiles are fakes?” accompanied by a set of pictures of smiling people. Chemistry assures us that the questions are all very scientifically formulated and there is a good reason for each of them.
The whole purpose of the personality test is to find those people that you’re truly compatible with. The goal of Chemistry.com is to match people so well that by the time of your first date with somebody you feel like you already know them. The personality test takes about 30 minutes to complete.
Be Honest!
When you take the personality test, it is important to answer each question as honestly as possible. At the same time, however, as on other dating sites, you do not want to be too restrictive in your preferences. For example, if you live in an isolated small town and you restrict your proximity preferences to those within just 10 miles of where you live, you will not get very many matches!
The same is true if you insist on a partner who is twenty-something and athletic and you’re a fifty-something couch potato! In other words, a personality test can only do so much good if you are unreasonable in your expectations.
As for the geographical region you specify, you’ll do better if you define an area large enough that it encompasses the nearest large city. Chemistry.com has a great feature that will suggest a nice venue based on your zip code or postal code and that of the person you set up a date with that is somewhere in between where the two of you live.
Chemistry.com is created by, and is affiliated with, Match.com, a very large, well-known, and long-standing dating site. Some members have reported the same profiles are on both sites, so if you’re already a member of Match.com you may not want to join Chemistry.com. However, this is also an advantage, as Chemistry.com can benefit from Match.com’s large pool of members.
Using the Site
After you complete the personality test, you will be taken immediately to a list of potential matches — no e-mail confirmation is needed. On your home screen, each match has a badge next to their name, indicating whether they are a “Negotiator” “Explorer,” “Director,” or “Builder.” These are Chemistry.com‘s terms for the basic personality types. Personally, I didn’t find the system’s description of me as a “Builder” to be very accurate. Your results may vary.
Click on the “View Profile” button and you are brought to a nicely laid out profile page about that particular match, including his or her parents, lifestyle and background, all neatly broken down into sections. There is also a listing of interests the two of you share in common, such as reading books, dining out, fitness, having hobbies and enjoying movies.
In the “Would You Like To Learn More” section of the profile page you can click on buttons indicating “I’m Interested” “Decide Later,” or “Not Really.” Clicking on any but the “I’m Interested” button will bring you to the next match. The “I’m Interested” button will take you to a contact form if you’re a paid member or the opportunity to sign up if you’re not.
Here’s the psychological part: in the “How you two click…” section, based on Dr. Fisher’s research, you will see the system’s analysis of how your personality type might interact with that of your match. For example, it might say:
• Both Negotiators and Builders are eager to build strong, stable relationships.
• Since both types have abundant “people skills” and are community oriented, they’ll enjoy many jolly and meaningful times together with friends and family.
The way you get more matches on Chemistry.com is by rating each match is it is presented to you. Apparently, the site uses your ratings to further fine-tune and hone its matching algorithms. Additionally, if you go on a date using the service, you should leave feedback afterwards, as this will also be used to adjust its accuracy (your dating partner will never see your feedback).
How Chemistry.com Works
Keep in mind that Chemistry.com has a unique way of matching people that may not be well-suited for all users. The system handles everything for you — presenting matches based on the answers to your personality test, searching its own database for good matches, and so on. In fact, unlike with many or most other online dating sites, there is no way for you to directly search through the member database.
Although some people will like Chemistry.com’s approach, control freaks will find it too restrictive. An additional drawback of this philosophy is that there is no way to tell for sure how many other members are in your immediate area, although Chemistry.com’s affiliation with Match.com should ensure a fair number of subscribers. Chemistry.com seems to be a site you either love or hate!
Chemistry.com is a bit pricey, but you can save money on the membership if you sign up for three months or more, and you can get a 7-day free trial. The way Chemistry.com works is that you can get recommendations from the site on potential matches, as well as post your own detailed profile, so that you will appear as a match for other people, but you cannot contact any of those found unless you subscribe to the service. (Keep in mind also that they will not be able to contact you unless they are also subscribed).
Pricing
Chemistry.com’s price structure is as follows:
- 1 month $49.95
- 3 months $99.95 (or $33.32 a month)
- 6 months $159.95 (or $26.66 a month)
7 Day Free Trial @ Chemistry.com.
Our Advice
Chemistry.com is totally free to join and explore so that you can see if the site is for you. My advice is to take the personality test and spend plenty of time browsing around the site and checking out its recommendations for you before you join up as a paid member. The site gives you plenty of opportunities to see whether or not its matching algorithm will work for you.
If you do decide to join up, keep in mind that the membership will renew automatically unless you explicitly contact the site to cancel. As with any dating site, you should not delay canceling if you decide you are unhappy with it. You want to unsubscribe before the auto renewal kicks in.
Chemistry.com is a fun and well designed site that will teach you a lot about yourself and about other people. My advice is to sign up for the free personality test (your privacy is assured) and then have plenty of fun exploring the site and checking out the suggestions it makes for you. Become a paid member if you’re happy with those suggestions.
