Egalitarian Daters/Traditionalist Dates

Abstract

This study replicates and expands Rose and Frieze's (1989) research, which found that young adults' scripts for dating maintain the traditional dominant/subordinate relationship between the sexes. In a 1993 study, Rose and Frieze looked at actual, rather than hypothetical, dates and reported essentially the same finding. The authors used Rose and Frieze's 1989 design with a larger sample and found that although daters may claim to be egalitarian, their dates follow the traditionalist pattern that Rose and Frieze described. In a second study, the authors asked for descriptions of first dates with persons whom respondents already knew from work, school, and so forth, rather than with the relative stranger about whom earlier versions had asked. Varying the level of familiarity with a partner did not produce a different result. Implications are drawn from the findings and suggestions for future research are offered.

Breaking the rules: Personal control increases women’s direct relationship initiation

“…Consequently, taking the initiative by requesting a date or starting a conversation is seen as more appropriate and socially acceptable when the initiator is a man (Clark et al, 1999;Laner & Ventrone, 2000). Research on dating scripts also supports the notion that people believe men should put forth the effort and take on the more proactive role (e.g., asking for and planning the date) whereas women should be reactive (e.g., waiting to be asked on a date; Laner & Ventrone, 1998;Rose & Frieze, 1989Serewicz & Gale, 2008).…”

First-Date Scripts: Gender Roles, Context, and Relationship

“…However, unlike other research on first-date scripts (Laner and Ventrone 1998;Pryor and Merluzzi 1985;Frieze 1989, 1993), this study systematically varies salient elements in the first-date script, which operate as common variants of a stereotypical first date (e.g., availability of alcohol) or contradict elements of the traditional first-date script (e.g., gender of the date initiator).…”

“…Interestingly, the script generated for actual first dates in the Rose and Frieze (1993) study and Laner and Ventrone's (1998) typical first-date script were the only scripts generated in this body of research that include consumption of alcohol. The relative absence of drinking behavior from first-date scripts is potentially problematic for dating relationships.…”

“…In a second study that sought to address the potential influence of the standard instructions given to participants in first-date script research, Laner and Ventrone (1998) considered the possibility that the inclusion of the description that the first date was "with someone new" [a consistent feature of the instructions used by Frieze (1989, 1993) and Laner and Ventrone (1998) themselves] might increase the probability of behaviors associated with traditional gender roles. They argued that acting in a manner consistent with traditional gender roles might "ease awkwardness" (Laner and Ventrone 1998, p. 472) inherent on a first date with a stranger.…”

“…In the past few decades, relationship researchers in a variety of disciplines (e.g., Honeycutt et al 1989;Laner and Ventrone 1998) have devoted attention to the scripts and memory structures that individuals hold for dating relationships. Studies in this area also reflect scholars' persistent interest in the cognitive processes involved in producing and understanding communication (Berger 1997).…”