No abstract

Previous studies that compared differences in the outcomes of relationships that begin online compared to traditional offline venues have primarily looked at marital relationships. The present study extends this investigation by including non-marital relationships in the comparison. It further investigates if the breakup rate of relationships (both marital and non-marital) varies as a result of meeting online versus offline, and if other factors outside of the meeting venue predict relationship dissolution. Data are used from Waves I, II, and III of a nationally representative survey of 4,002 respondents. Results suggest that couples who met their partners online were more likely to be involved in dating and romantic relationships than marital relationships compared to couples who met offline. Furthermore, the breakup rates for both marital and non-marital romantic relationships was found to be higher for couples who met online than couples who met through offline venues. In addition to meeting venue, relationship quality and duration of relationship were found to be significant factors that predicted if couples would stay together or break up. Evidence drawn from theory and previous research are used to explain these observed trends.

No abstract

This study extends our understanding of the influence of culture on advertising within the novel context of online dating. People around the world have come to depend on online dating services (ODSs) to participate in the dating process. Since the norms and expectations of dating are influenced by a country’s cultural values, we expect ODSs to adapt their advertising messages to be congruent with these values. Using the Pollay–Hofstede framework, we examine the relationship between advertising appeals used by 1,003 ODSs from 51 countries and the cultural dimensions of these countries. Results showed that ODS advertisements appealed to people’s need for relationship, friendship, entertainment, sex, status, design and identity. The use of these appeals was congruent with only the individualism/collectivism and uncertainty avoidance cultural dimensions. Based on these results, we argue that ODS’s overwhelming use of culturally incongruent advertising messages can lead to a global transformation and homogenisation of the dating culture.

Social networking sites (SNS) are becoming popular platforms for initiating relationships with unknown others, and not just for maintaining online ties with existing friends and family. When initiating relationships, the primary need is to reduce uncertainty about unknown others by getting more information about them. In this study we examined which information seeking strategy was the most effective in reducing uncertainty about people in SNS. We also examined whether using different combinations of information seeking strategies resulted in different levels of uncertainty reduction, and feelings of liking and similarity experienced towards unknown others in SNS. 49 stranger dyads participated in an experiment where they had an online conversation with each other, either before or after accessing their conversation partners' Facebook profiles. Results indicated a strong interaction effect of time and the combination of information seeking strategies used, on levels of uncertainty, liking and similarity experienced toward conversation partners. Facebook profiles resulted in increased levels of uncertainty reduction, liking and similarity only when the profiles were accessed before having an online conversation with partners. Accessing profiles after the online conversation heightened uncertainty, and reduced liking and similarity. The contradictory role of Facebook profiles on the three relational outcome variables is discussed in the context of uncertainty reduction theory (Berger & Calabrese, 1975), social penetration theory (Altman & Taylor, 1973), Snyder and Swan's (1978) confirmation bias, and Walther's (1997) hyperpersonal model. Effective strategies for using SNS for fostering new relationships, as informed by theory and empirical data, are proposed.