ABSTRACT
I n all areas of scientific inquiry, the ideas that researchers pursue are constrained by the meth-ods available to them. Thankfully, new and generative methodological paradigms are frequently born, often directly as a result of scientists’ own ingenuity. Two prominent examples in psychology include Thurstone’s (1928) insight that attitudes can be measured, a revelation that served as the foundation for the myriad self-report measures in use today, and Byrne’s (1961) “bogus stranger” experiment, which became one of the most enduring paradigms in the study of attraction. In other cases, scientists have capitalized on the emergence of a new technology or some other product of our evolving culture. For instance, as millions of people currently have access to the Internet, a massive participant pool is available for studies that choose to harness this resource (Fraley, 2004). We have become increasingly enthusiastic about a promising methodological advance for researchers interested in attraction and relationship initiation: a providential gift from popular singles’ culture known as speed-dating.
