The Cultural Adaptation of Internet Dating: Attitudes towards Online Relationship Formation

<p>This study explores the social approval of internet dating through the ranking of vignette scenarios. The scenarios are manipulated by the conditions of face-to-face interaction, presence of mutual acquaintance, and use of internet technology. Measures of legitimacy, predicted longevity, and social perception test for changes in attitudes of the varied ways in which a hypothetical couple meets. One of seven randomly distributed scenarios was ranked by a total of 346 undergraduates to disentangle the above conditions and test for an effect on social approval. Situated in the framework of cultural adaptation, script theory and the saturated self, support is found for low cultural approval of internet dating. Conditions of face-to-face interaction, issues of trust, and affinity to the internet demonstrate clear effects on the approval of relationships formed through internet dating.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Miller, Corey T.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Compton, D'Lane
• Allen, H. David
• Baxter, Vern K.

• Vignettes
• Internet Dating
• Online Relationship Formation
• American Courtship
• Cultural Lag
• Sexual Script Theory
• Technology and the Self
• Mediated Communication
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Sociology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1332

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-2316