ABSTRACT
Data from the Quickmatch function of OKCupid, a large dating website, shows that on average people who identify as part of a particular racial group will rate other members who share that identity as more attractive than the mean. 1 This is true for all groups listed on the website: Asian, Black, Latino and White. 2 The data also shows that particular groups face distinct ratings ‘penalties’. Here the outcome of the data is more gender-specific. Black and Asian men are rated as less attractive than the mean by members of all groups other than their own, while Black (but not Asian) women are rated as less attractive than the mean by members of all groups other than their own. These preferences are reflected in the number of messages and responses individuals receive. For example, compared to women of other races, Black women receive roughly 75% as many first messages from other users on the site and roughly 75% as many responses to their own first messages. 3
