Attitudes and Practices Regarding the Formation of Romantic Relationships on the Internet

Abstract

We conducted two studies to examine young adults' attitudes and practices about using the Internet to facilitate the formation of intimate relationships. In the first study, we surveyed 235 undergraduates and 76 Ph.D. students about their attitudes toward and use of the Internet in forming relationships. In the second study, a sample of 40 undergraduates explored real exemplars of matchmaking sites and then answered surveys about their impressions of the sites, while a control group of 51 undergraduates answered the same questions without exploring actual sites. In study one, more graduate students than undergraduates reported meeting someone in person whom they had first met on the Internet, p < 0.05, and had both thought about and taken steps to meet a friend or mate on the Internet, p < 0.01. Graduate students also expressed more positive views of using the Internet to form relationships, p < 0.001. In study two, the exposure group rated the sites less negatively than the control group, p < 0.001, indicating that viewing the sites did mediate opinions. Both groups expressed significant concerns about people lying on matchmaking sites and trying to meet people without using visual cues. Results are discussed in the context of mediation by life stage needs.