First Comes Social Networking, Then Comes Marriage? Characteristics of Americans Married 2005–2012 Who Met Through Social Networking Sites

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2013.0408.Although social networking sites (SNS) have become increasingly prevalent and integrated into the lives of users, the role of SNS in courtship is relatively unknown. The present manuscript reports on the characteristics of Americans married between 2005 and 2012 who met through SNS drawn from a weighted national sample (N=18,527). Compared to other online meetings (i.e., dating sites, online communities, one-on-one communication), individuals who met through SNS were younger, married more recently, and were more likely to be African American. Compared with offline meetings, individuals who met through SNS were more likely to be younger, male, African American and Hispanic, married more recently, and frequent Internet users with higher incomes. Trends suggest an increasing proportion of individuals are meeting using SNS, necessitating further research on factors that influence romantic relational development through SNS

Virtual Masquerade

Little is known about how Twitter is used for sexual engagements. This study aimed to explore the online community of anonymous accounts in Twitter called “Alter” in terms of users’ process of initial exposure and eventual involvement into the online community, the users’ typical online behavior within the virtual community, and their reasons for engaging in it. A sample of 11 men who have sex with men (MSM) who actively engage with other Alter accounts were the participants of the study’s online ethnography of the Alter community. Data were collected by means of interviews and observations. Through thematic analysis, results indicated that sexual satiation runs the online community, yet Alter has been augmented by more complex social benefits including network formation, advocacy sharing, and provision of emotional support and safe space. In sum, Alter Twitter is a tool of Filipino MSMs not just to express and search for sexual gratification but also make meaningful interactions. The Alter community affords these individuals a venue to express themselves sans the consequences to their social life should these accounts become known to people who know them outside of the Internet

The influence of using social networks on the romantic relationship satisfaction and stability

Social networks have a significant impact on individuals (e.g., personal well-being) and their relationships (e.g., satisfaction). This bachelor's thesis examines the use of social networks and their influence on the course of romantic relationships, from introduction, to functioning, to dissolution. The thesis also presents the differences between romantic relationships depending on whether the partners met online or offline. Different forms of online dating (e.g., via dating sites or apps) and their characteristics are also discussed. Furthermore, the thesis examines the use of social networking sites during a relationship and the impact of their use on the individual and the romantic relationship (e.g., stalking, jealousy, or infidelity). The thesis also includes a research design whose main aim is to test the relationship between interactions with potential alternative partners on Instagram, partner satisfaction and infidelity-related behaviours. It appears that social network use significantly affects the quality and stability of romantic relationships, and therefore setting boundaries in terms of behaviour and social network use between partners is important. The paper concludes with a summary of the most important findings, recommendations for therapeutic practice and possible directions for...Sociální sítě mají významný vliv na jedince (např. osobní pohoda) i jeho vztahy (např. spokojenost). Tato bakalářská práce se zabývá používáním sociálních sítí a jejich vlivem na průběh partnerských vztahů, od seznámení, přes fungování až po rozpad. V práci jsou dále představeny rozdíly mezi partnerskými vztahy v závislosti na tom, zda se partneři seznámili on-line nebo off-line. Pojednány jsou také jednotlivé formy on-line seznamování (např. přes seznamovací weby nebo aplikace) a jejich charakteristiky. Dále se práce zabývá používáním sociálních sítí v průběhu vztahu a dopadem jejich užívání na samotného jedince i na partnerský vztah (např. stalking, žárlivost či nevěra). Součástí práce je také návrh výzkumu, jehož hlavním cílem je testování vztahu mezi interakcemi s potenciálními alternativními partnery na Instagramu, partnerskou spokojeností a chováním spojeným s nevěrou. Ukazuje se, že používání sociálních sítí významně ovlivňuje kvalitu a stabilitu partnerských vztahů, a proto je důležité nastavení hranic chování a způsobu používání sociálních sítích mezi partnery. V závěru jsou shrnuty nejdůležitější poznatky práce, doporučení pro terapeutickou praxi a možná směřování budoucího výzkumu. Klíčová slova: partnerské vztahy; sociální sítě; on-line randění; partnerská spokojenost; stabilita...Katedra psychologieDepartment of PsychologyFaculty of ArtsFilozofická fakult

An examination of attribute trade and weight stigma in online dating

Weight stigma refers to biased treatment or attitudes based on weight. This has been documented to occur in a variety of settings (including relationships) and can result in many negative consequences, but its impact in the contemporary online dating arena is largely unexplored. Therefore, Study 1 of this project examined who experiences weight stigma in online dating and what factors predicted weight stigma. It was hypothesized that a) women would be more likely than men to experience weight stigma; b) compassion, beliefs about obese persons, attitudes toward obese persons, social dominance orientation, narcissism, objectification, self-classification of overweight status, and internalized weight bias would predict likelihood of engaging in weight bias. Study 2 examined attribute trade theory in weight stigma and online dating. It was hypothesized that a) women would need more positive attributes to mitigate overweight status than would men; b) compassion, beliefs about obese persons, attitudes toward obese persons, social dominance orientation, narcissism, objectification, self-classification of overweight status, and internalized weight bias would moderate the relationship between the proportion of expected profile “hits” and the number of factors present that may potentially mitigate weight bias. Data were analyzed via logistic and multiple regressions. In Study 1, variables that predicted weight stigma included anonymous feedback condition, photo weight status, female gender of participants, and thinking of oneself as overweight. In a final regression model, self-classified weight, feedback condition, attitudes toward obese persons, and self-objectification predicted weight bias above and beyond photo weight status. In Study 2, there were no interaction effects, but there were main effects for mitigating factors, beliefs about obese persons, self-objectification, attitudes toward obese persons, and photo gender. Findings illustrated that weight bias appears to occur in online dating scenarios, though some factors may help offset the weight status of the individual

Supporting user evaluation of messaging interactions with potential romantic partners discovered online

Online dating systems have transformed the way people pursue romance. To arrive at a decision to meet for a face-to-face date, users gather information about each other online pertinent to romantic attraction. Yet sometimes they discover on the date that they made the wrong choice. One aspect of online dating system-use that may be a contributing factor, but is largely overlooked in the literature, is interaction through text-based messaging interfaces. This dissertation explores how messaging interactions inform face-to-face meeting decisions through two qualitative studies, and explores through a mixed methods field study how innovative messaging interfaces that embody theory from marriage literature can help users predict enjoyment of face-to-face interactions. Two qualitative studies of users of the online dating system OkCupid (n=41) and professional online dating coaches (n=35) indicate that users may have difficulty foreseeing unenjoyable face-to-face interactions because some users behave in ways during messaging interactions that differ from subsequent face-to-face interactions. Typical approaches to messaging resembled auditions in which female users hastily reject men whose messages are not immediately appealing, and male users compete for female attention with prewritten or carefully crafted message content. Theories of relationship satisfaction are used to propose new ways that messaging interfaces could support online daters. Models of marital satisfaction posit that problem-solving discussions (i.e., interactions in which partners are prompted to discuss a disagreement of opinion) are conducive to expression of attraction-relevant traits (e.g., personality). If this theory extends to potential romantic partners, messaging interfaces that prompt online daters with problem-solving discussion topics may yield interactions online that are similarly enjoyable to future, in-person interactions in which the richer, face-to-face context inherently supports signaling of attraction-relevant traits. A messaging interface prototype is designed based on the concept of problem-solving discussions and assessed alongside a standard, open messaging interface through a mixed methods field study (n=85). Results indicate that prompting users to discuss topics that they disagreed on does not help them make better face-to-face meeting decisions. Female daters are uncomfortable with an emphasis on disagreements because of anticipated arguments and men are indifferent to the interface because they seek signals of attraction more so than compatibility. However, female users\u27 decisions to meet face-to-face do benefit from a messaging interface that prompts users to discuss topics that they agreed on. In contrast, men\u27s decisions to meet face-to-face are worsened by the same prompted-agreement interface due to misinterpreting an emphasized agreement as a signal of attraction from women. Together, results suggest that a redesigned topic-prompted messaging interface should clarify to users that an emphasized (dis)agreement of opinion is not intended to incite an argument or insinuate attraction. A broader design implication includes acknowledging that users prioritize signals of compatibility and attraction differently and customizing messaging interface components to highlight information pertinent to users\u27 varying needs

Linguistic expression and perception of personality in online dating texts and their effect on attraction

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.Online daters report difficulties, frustration and anxiety in conveying their desired impression of themselves and from their lack of ability in perceiving another dater’s personality accurately. There is a lack of research on how expression of personality traits in profiles impacts on perception and on assessments of attractiveness. This thesis aims to fill this gap by exploring the expression and perception of personality traits in online dating profile texts, and to examine whether textually expressed personality affects attractiveness. The first two studies employed a linguistic and content analysis approach to determine how personality was expressed in dating profiles across different dating platforms and a comparison creative story text. There was considerable variation in expression indicating that language may not be a reliable indicator of personality. A lens model approach, using Funder’s Realistic Accuracy Model, was taken in the third study where accuracy of personality perception was examined in two contexts to determine whether dating profiles provided more salient trait-related cues to personality. The linguistic and content cues utilised by judges in making personality assessments were investigated. While some accuracy of perception was possible for emotional stability in online dating profiles, it was context dependent and unreliable, and few cues were utilised accurately. The effects of actual and perceived personality, and similarity of personality, on attractiveness were investigated and had not been examined previously in this context. This research shows that actual traits and similarity only affect attraction when it is perceivable, whereas perceived traits and similarity can affect attraction without accurate perception. This thesis illustrates the complexity of accuracy of interpersonal perception in text, and how context drives a considerable amount of the variation in achievement of accuracy. Additionally, the results offer some practical implications for online daters