Playing the Love Market

DESCRIPTION: Why is the use of personal advertisements in newspapers, magazines and the internet a rapidly increasing phenomenon? Does modern living push people, regardless of their sexuality, to use more commercial means of searching for potential partners? Which are the best options for particular individuals in their search process? This book directly addresses these questions from a straightforward, realistic but generally neglected view by psychologists, sociologists and other personal relationship "professionals".

Existing studies and guides to the dating process typically bypass the simple, inescapable and essential features of the way human beings proceed to instigate and assess relationships. The bottom line is that there is a market for potential relationship partners, which individuals have to function in to acquire dates. Like any market there is a supply and demand for the "good" in question. Economists have studied how markets work in great detail and this book shows how simple economic reasoning can explain many of the characteristics of the market for dating partners, and also suggest strategies for effective participation in this market.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Samuel Cameron is a Lecturer in Economics at the Development and Project Planning Centre, University of Bradford. He has researched and published extensively on the themes of marriage, divorce, partner search and economic psychology.

Alan Collins is Principal Lecturer in Economics at the Business School of the University of Portsmouth. He has researched and published on the themes of dating, partner search, prostitution and culture.