Dating is a widely practiced occupation by many individuals, especially the emerging adult, college student population. The primary objective of this research study was to develop a greater understanding of San Francisco (SF) Bay Area college students’ perception, practice, and occupational impact of dating. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with seven college students living in the SF Bay Area. Three themes emerged: the dating process, internal and external factors that influence dating, and personal growth from dating experiences. The data revealed that the emerging adult, college student population values dating and believes it can significantly impact their own development. However, this population considers dating to be confusing because of its complexity. These findings highlight implications in which occupational therapists can support the needs of college students of this generation who wish to participate in the occupation of dating.
","abstract_html":"<p>Dating is a widely practiced occupation by many individuals, especially the emerging adult, college student population. The primary objective of this research study was to develop a greater understanding of San Francisco (SF) Bay Area college students’ perception, practice, and occupational impact of dating. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with seven college students living in the SF Bay Area. Three themes emerged: the dating process, internal and external factors that influence dating, and personal growth from dating experiences. The data revealed that the emerging adult, college student population values dating and believes it can significantly impact their own development. However, this population considers dating to be confusing because of its complexity. These findings highlight implications in which occupational therapists can support the needs of college students of this generation who wish to participate in the occupation of dating.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Pring, Justin","Cummings, Cristina","Saucedo, Gabriela","Gonzales, Cathy Lynn"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Occupational Therapy","degree_level":"Capstone Project","degree_discipline":"Occupational Therapy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Karen McCarthy, PhD, OTR/L"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2019,"date_issued":"2019-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2019-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:05:06Z","subjects":["college students","dating","emerging adulthood","mental health","relationships","young adults","Bay Area","Occupational Therapy"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.dominican.edu/occupational-therapy-capstone-projects/11","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Karen McCarthy, PhD, OTR/L"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Pring, Justin","Cummings, Cristina","Saucedo, Gabriela","Gonzales, Cathy Lynn"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-01-10T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Occupational Therapy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Capstone Project"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Occupational Therapy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["college students","dating","emerging adulthood","mental health","relationships","young adults","Bay Area","Occupational Therapy"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/occupational-therapy-capstone-projects/11"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Dating is a widely practiced occupation by many individuals, especially the emerging adult, college student population. The primary objective of this research study was to develop a greater understanding of San Francisco (SF) Bay Area college students’ perception, practice, and occupational impact of dating. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with seven college students living in the SF Bay Area. Three themes emerged: the dating process, internal and external factors that influence dating, and personal growth from dating experiences. The data revealed that the emerging adult, college student population values dating and believes it can significantly impact their own development. However, this population considers dating to be confusing because of its complexity. These findings highlight implications in which occupational therapists can support the needs of college students of this generation who wish to participate in the occupation of dating.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Dating for College Students in the San Francisco Bay Area"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Karen McCarthy, PhD, OTR/L"],"dc:creator":["Pring, Justin","Cummings, Cristina","Saucedo, Gabriela","Gonzales, Cathy Lynn"],"dc:date.available":["2019-01-10T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Dating is a widely practiced occupation by many individuals, especially the emerging adult, college student population. The primary objective of this research study was to develop a greater understanding of San Francisco (SF) Bay Area college students’ perception, practice, and occupational impact of dating. Phenomenological interviews were conducted with seven college students living in the SF Bay Area. Three themes emerged: the dating process, internal and external factors that influence dating, and personal growth from dating experiences. The data revealed that the emerging adult, college student population values dating and believes it can significantly impact their own development. However, this population considers dating to be confusing because of its complexity. These findings highlight implications in which occupational therapists can support the needs of college students of this generation who wish to participate in the occupation of dating.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.dominican.edu/occupational-therapy-capstone-projects/11"],"dc:subject":["college students","dating","emerging adulthood","mental health","relationships","young adults","Bay Area","Occupational Therapy"],"dc:title":["Dating for College Students in the San Francisco Bay Area"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Occupational Therapy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Capstone Project"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Occupational Therapy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:05:06Z"}