A Second Chance to Make a First Impression: Factors Affecting the Longevity of Online Dating Relationships

Authors

  • Lindsay Shaw Taylor University of California, Berkeley
  • Andrew Fiore University of California, Berkeley
  • G. Mendelsohn University of California, Berkeley
  • Coye Cheshire University of California, Berkeley

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v4i1.14066

Keywords:

Online dating, close relationships, computer-mediated communication

Abstract

This research explored the transition of romantic relationships from meeting online to the first face-to-face date. It is inevitable that impressions of a partner will change to some degree, but how much, and with what consequences? One hundred and fifty users of a popular online dating site participated in the study. They recalled a person whom they had met through the site, reporting their impressions of their partners from both before and after the first face-to-face meeting. We expected, based on prior research demonstrating the importance of physical attractiveness in romantic attraction both on- and offline, that changes in beliefs about partners’ physical appeal would be the most powerful predictor of relationship longevity. However, they were unrelated to relationship success. Across all the dimensions we examined, impressions were in fact relatively stable, but when respondents said they knew their partners better after meeting face-to-face, relationships lasted longer.v

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Published

2010-05-16

How to Cite

Shaw Taylor, L., Fiore, A., Mendelsohn, G., & Cheshire, C. (2010). A Second Chance to Make a First Impression: Factors Affecting the Longevity of Online Dating Relationships. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, 4(1), 335-338. https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v4i1.14066