MEDILL REPORTS – Mar 14 – GenePartner claims that for $249 and a cheek swab, it has the formula to match clients with those who are genetically compatible. After ordering a collection kit, the participant gives a saliva sample and mails it to GenePartner. Approximately two weeks later, results quantifying genetic compatibility with others who have also taken the test are available. It rates genetic compatibility in five areas: overall results, level of attraction, type of interest, symmetry of attraction and probability of a successful pregnancy. Genetic compatibility alone is only half the equation in maintaining a healthy relationship. "There may be truth in genetic attraction, but to me that would be an initial attraction and from there it would depend on compatibility in character and the ability to keep a relationship happy," said Joanna Hakimi, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Symmetry Counseling in Chicago. Eli Finkel, a social psychologist at Northwestern University, who has done extensive research on online dating services and briefly covers GenePartner in his work, is highly skeptical of the premise behind the idea. "Anytime there’s a new technology that comes out, dating is usually around 10 seconds behind," he said.
By Gloria Oh
The full article was originally published at Medill Reports, but is no longer available.