Impression Management Struggles in Online Dating

Zytko, Douglas; Grandhi, Sukeshini A.; Jones, Quentin

doi:10.1145/2660398.2660410

Cited by 43 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…First, there is impression motivation, 'when people become motivated to engage in particular self-presentation behaviors' (Leary, 1995, p. 53). Past research has established that in the context of mediated dating environments, users are highly motivated to control the impression they create (Ellison et al, 2012;Koestner & Wheeler, 1988;Kramer & Winter, 2008;Toma, Hancock, & Ellison, 2008;Zytko et al, 2014). This high motivation can be illustrated in how users are sometimes tempted to present themselves in idealized ways.…”

Section: Tindermentioning

confidence: 99%

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What are you doing on Tinder? Impression management on a matchmaking mobile app

Ward

2016

Information, Communication & Society

148

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Mobile dating applications such as Tinder have exploded in popularity in recent years. On Tinder, impression management begins with a motivation to download the app, the choice of one's profile photos and an assessment of the expectations of potential Tinder matches. These processes occur in a technologically mediated environment of reduced cues and increased control, local proximity and a reduced filtering process. My focus in this paper is this first stage of impression management, which consists of both impression motivation and impression construction. Specifically, what are the pre-match impression management practices of Tinder users? I present the results of interviews with Tinder users in the Netherlands. Participants were recruited via a Tinder profile that advertised the study using the University emblem and a brief description. Interview questions focused on user understandings of selfpresentation practices and profile construction. The interviews also examined how users evaluated their potential matches. Results show users' motivations for using Tinder range from entertainment to ego-boost to relationship seeking, and these motivations sometimes change over time. Profile photos are selected in an attempt to present an ideal yet authentic self, and chosen as an illustration of not only one's desirability but also of other indicators such as education level. Tinder users 'swipe' not only in search of people they like, but also for clues as to how to present themselves in order to attract others like them. This research offers insight into user experiences and perceptions within the still under-researched area of inquiry. ARTICLE HISTORY

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Section: Tindermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Personals (Ellison, Hancock, & Toma, 2012), Match.com , and OKCupid (Zytko, Jones, & Grandhi, 2014). Recent work examines Grindr, the matchmaking app geared toward men seeking men (Birnholtz, Fitzpatrick, Handel, & Brubaker, 2014;Blackwell, Birnholtz, & Abbott, 2015;Brubaker, Ananny, & Crawford, 2016;Gudelunas, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What are you doing on Tinder? Impression management on a matchmaking mobile app

Ward

2016

Information, Communication & Society

148

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“…Previous research on Warranting Theory has shown that online daters engage in private messaging as an interactive uncertainty reduction strategy to seek cues that they hope will "warrant" or authenticate information found in profile pages [6,12]. Yet despite their warranting efforts, users still find it difficult to validate experiential attributes through private messaging [38,39,40]. This previous research [38,39,40] has found that: 1.…”

Section: Evaluation In Online Dating Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Experiential attributes are integral to the evaluation of potential romantic partners [10,14,38,39,40], and openended questions on profile pages are often read to evaluate these traits. Women review open-ended answers to find men who are genuine, trustworthy, and extroverted, while men look for attributes such as femininity and self-esteem [8].…”

Section: Evaluation In Online Dating Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research has indicated that online daters struggle to evaluate their potential partners [38,39,40], particularly the subjective and tacit personality traits that are vital to romantic attraction [10]. Previous research has suggested that first dates between online daters often go poorly because their personality trait evaluations are inaccurate [38,39].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Enhancing Evaluation of Potential Dates Online Through Paired Collaborative Activities

Zytko

Freeman

Grandhi

et al. 2015

Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work &Amp; Social Computing

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Online dating systems are the most common way people meet their marriage partners online. Nevertheless, online daters struggle to evaluate personality traits of potential partners using profile pages and private messaging in these systems. Meanwhile, Multiplayer Online Games (MOGs) have emerged as a popular way young people find romantic partners for relationships in the physical world. We conducted two interview studies -one concerning evaluation behavior in online dating systems (n=41) and the other concerning collaborative activities in MOGs (n=35). Insights from these studies reveal the weaknesses in evaluation tools native to online dating and suggest that collaborative activities could potentially address evaluation challenges in online dating. The paper concludes with a discussion of a series of design concepts for online dating in order to improve users' abilities to evaluate their potential romantic partners for in-person meetings.

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“Thanks for Writing, But I’m Not Interested”: A Qualitative Analysis of Men’s Experiences of Online Dating

Fullwood

Boultwood

Chadwick

2019

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

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Research investigating the personal experiences of online daters is currently limited. Moreover, evidence implies that men are likely to experience online dating rather differently to their female counterparts and that this discrepancy warrants further investigation. Eight heterosexual adult males aged 18-60 were interviewed about their experiences of and attitudes to using online dating sites and apps. Data were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis. A number of themes were identified from the data, including "necessary but effective online dating", reflecting the perceived utility of dating sites and their ability to enhance certainty and reduce rejection salience. "Negative impact on self" was revealed through participants' experiences of online interactions, with participants demonstrating various protective strategies to maintain self-integrity. "Clouded judgements", insofar as the intentions of other daters were often more difficult to judge accurately, and "frustration", relating to negative experiences with online dating platforms and the gendered norms within them, were also noted. The last theme was one of "resiliency" which was demonstrated throughout descriptions of participant experiences. Findings provide a rich narrative of the lived experiences of male online daters and the strategies they employ to reap rewards as well as the barriers to success that they incur.

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Impression Management Struggles in Online Dating

Cited by 43 publications

References 38 publications

What are you doing on Tinder? Impression management on a matchmaking mobile app

What are you doing on Tinder? Impression management on a matchmaking mobile app

Enhancing Evaluation of Potential Dates Online Through Paired Collaborative Activities

“Thanks for Writing, But I’m Not Interested”: A Qualitative Analysis of Men’s Experiences of Online Dating

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