The importance of friends
A Herald story today tells us, four times, “22 per cent of women feel they have stronger relationship with girlfriends than their partners.” According to a 2009 survey (PDF), 18% of adult Kiwis were not married, living together, or even dating. That could potentially explain a lot of the 22%.
At least that one was for a charitable cause. The other survey story was for an online dating service that relies on recommendations from (Facebook) friends. Unsurprisingly, the survey they commissioned could be read as supporting this strategy:
43 per cent of people trusted their friends and families when it comes to dating advice, tips and recommendations.
and
The survey found singles were less inclined to go to a professional matchmaker for help, with only 1 per cent saying they would trust them
Thomas Lumley (@tslumley) is Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Auckland. His research interests include semiparametric models, survey sampling, statistical computing, foundations of statistics, and whatever methodological problems his medical collaborators come up with. He also blogs at Biased and Inefficient See all posts by Thomas Lumley »