Given that little research has been done on unconventional means of finding and courting a potential spouse via matrimonial Web sites, this emerging form of courtship, differs substantially from Western-style online dating. This research examines the impressions Saudi users intended to form when constructing their profiles on matrimonial Web sites, the characteristics these users seek in their potential spouses, and the acceptable Saudi script for courtships initiated on matrimonial Web sites. It unites the hyperpersonal theory, sexual strategies theory, and script theory into a theoretical framework. Using a quantitative questionnaire (N = 302), the results of the research contribute to the debate in the literature on Computer-Mediated Communication regarding whether online settings provide rich information about other users, as they show that online interactions can provide more information about the opposite sex for users who belong to gender-segregated societies than they can get through their offline lives. The results also reveal that there are similarities and differences between mate preferences proposed by Sexual Strategies Theory and Saudis' mate preferences. Such findings contribute to the theories on mate preferences in general and the sexual strategies theory in particular by advancing the understanding of mate preferences in an Islamic context. details these three theories and constructs them as the theoretical framework for this research. It discusses the rationale for choosing each of these theories, the previous studies that apply them, and their applicability on the Saudi context of using matrimonial Web sites to find a potential spouse. Buss and Schmitt (1993) Sexual Strategies TheoryThis section provides a rationale for choosing sexual strategies theory (Buss & Schmitt, 1993) as a theoretical framework to investigate Saudis' mate preferences. Unlike previous theories in the field, this theory distinguishes between the strategies utilized by both sexes when searching for a mate for long-term and short-term relationships. The sexual strategies theory provides one of the clearest articulations of both sexes' preferences for finding a partner for long-term relationships, such as marriage. Such articulations are important given that Saudi culture considers marriage the only acceptable framework for intimate relationships between sexes.According to Buss and Schmitt (1993), men strategically seek the following characteristics for long-term mating: paternity confidence, commitment, female reproductive value, gene quality, and good parenting skills. On the other hand, the authors proposed that women seek the following mate preferences: investment of resources, commitment, physical protection, gene quality, and good parenting skills. While its strategies are considered to be universal and evolutionarily, the sexual strategies theory's main strength for this research is that it provides a base for explaining some aspects of Saudis' preferred characteristics in a potential spouse. In Saudi culture, males ...

This paper presents an analysis of the status updates generated by Saudi university students on their profiles along with their levels of disclosure. Indeed, this study conducted thematic and quantitative content analyses of profiles of a sample of 50 students to explore the status updates they generated and the types of information they disclosed. Analysis of Saudi university students" Facebook usage revealed 16 distinctive themes of status updates. These themes most often related to communication with friends and discussion of social, religious, and political issues. An analysis of the information disclosed on their profiles also revealed that Saudi students disclosed much of their personal information.

Matrimonial websites are an important element in the online interaction equation. Saudis can create a certain impression of themselves while indicating their potential preferences in a future spouse. Current research contributes to the Walther (1996) model by considering the message and the communication components: sender, channel, receiver, and feedback.Using a quantitative questionnaire survey (N = 302), the results provided an in-depth description of the script Saudi users follow when trying to find a potential spouse through matrimonial websites. Results found Saudi users differ by demographic variables in the self-presentation of their positive and negative attributes on matrimonial websites.The influence of the receivers’ factors differs according to demographic variables and has been partially confirmed; Saudi matrimonial website users have partially different mate preferences from those described by Buss and Schmitt (1993). In addition, male Saudis who use of matrimonial websites differ in their mate preferences according to their demographic variables, as results showed the role of six variables—age, tribe of origin, relationship status, educational level, income level, and religiosity level. Female Saudis who use matrimonial websites differ highly in their mate preferences according to their demographic variables because the results showed the role of all the aforementioned variables except relationship status.

Teachers all over the world strive to keep their students engaged, and research has shown that task engagement can be elevated by utilising technology to complete classroom activities. Reasons suggested for this is that technology's alignment with students' interests, as well as the stimulatingly transformative effect that technology can have on activities. Due to current students' preferences, authors now encourage incorporating mobile phones into the classroom, claiming that it will improve task engagement. However, this has not been empirically proven. Therefore, this mixed method quasi experimental study examined whether two groups completing identical activities, where one group using their smartphones, would have any difference in their engagement with the given activities. The results indicated that a statistically significant difference in the initiation times and distraction between experimental and control settings. Although no significant emotional difference was observed between the groups, the students themselves indicated a significant difference in their emotional attitude towards smartphone activities as compared to paper-based ones. The smartphone group managed to engage with activities, thereby overcoming many factors which affected the control groups' engagement levels.

The present study aims at investigating English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Saudi students' adaption of Twitter and utilizing it as an English language learning tool and the different characteristics of each adopter category using Roger's Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI). It targets both the foundation year Saudi female university students studying EFL at the English Language Institute (ELI) at King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) as well as the male and female Saudi students studying English at English language institutes abroad. The sample will consist of 50 female preparatory year students (PYS) studying EFL at the ELI. Their ages will range between the ages of 18 and 21 years old and will all be likely to come from an Arab origin. Furthermore, the study will include 50 male and female English learners who are studying abroad. This quantitative study uses a three parts questionnaire. The first part will request demographic information from participants such as age, years of experiences, academic ranking, and the level they are studying in the students' case. In the second section, participants were asked to choose the response that describes the degree to which they use the innovation (Twitter). In the last section, participants were asked to read 23 statements that measure the different characteristics of each adopter category which influence the user intention and behavior. The 23 statements were based on the five perceived attributes of innovations derived by Rogers (2003). A five-point Likert-type scale ranging from strongly agrees to strongly disagree was applied to assess the perceived attributes of Twitter. The researcher aims at identifying valuable insights on how much the social network website Twitter is accepted and used as a learning tool for Saudi language learners. Therefore, based on the findings of this study, researchers in the same field may expand the study by moving to further experimental research that maybe carried out to investigate the effectiveness of Twitter as a teaching tool in the ELI classroom at KAU and other language institutes outside the Kingdom.