Why settle when there are plenty of fish in the sea? Rusbult’s investment model applied to online dating

Abstract

<jats:p> The current mixed-methods study reports the results of a cross-sectional survey of 205 online daters and uses the Investment Model to examine the antecedents of commitment in online dating and users’ decisions to delete their online dating account(s). We hypothesized that the quality of alternatives, investments, and satisfaction with the online dating relationship would mediate the association between online dating intensity and commitment, which, in turn, would predict the intention to terminate an account. The analyses revealed that online dating intensity was associated with greater commitment and a lower likelihood of account termination. There were also specific indirect effects on commitment through the quality of alternatives, investments, and satisfaction, and on termination through investments. Responses to an open-ended question provided more information about users’ decisions to quit online dating. These results point to ways online dating may facilitate the desire for commitment while potentially undermining the long-term stability of relationships. </jats:p>

Social media discontinuation: A systematic literature review on drivers and inhibitors

“…Our results show that social media's costs and benefits are the salient cognitive factor influencing SMD. This aspect was captured under different terminologies such as investment (Sharabi and Timmermans, 2021), coupling (Park and Koh, 2018), and waste of time (Kour, 2016;Dindar and Akbulut, 2014;Hong and Oh, 2020;Brubaker et al, 2016). Privacy concerns have also been reported to drive SMD (Hong and Oh, 2020, Dindar and Akbulut, 2014, Stieger et al, 2013.…”

“…One study highlighted the positive impact of perceived behavioral control regarding discontinuance on SMD (Luqman et al, 2018). While another research revealed that online intensity negatively predicts SMD (Sharabi and Timmermans, 2021). Additionally, heavy social media users felt addicted to them and thus were more inclined to leave (Stieger et al, 2013).…”

Exploring individuals’ descriptive and injunctive norms of ghosting

“…Focusing on relationship dissolution, qualitative research has found that some users find it easier to ghost connections on dating apps than to directly reject them (DeWiele & Campbell, 2019;Timmermans et al, 2020), and many users perceive ghosting to be quite common and somewhat expected on dating apps (DeWiele & Campbell, 2019;Timmermans et al, 2020;Thomas & Dubar, 2021). Users' options to block or "unmatch" with a prospective partner and users' patterns of deleting and reinstalling apps for various reasons (Brubaker et al, 2016;DeWiele & Campbell, 2019;Sharabi & Timmermans, 2021) both lead to a high rate of unanswered messages (Tom Tong & Walther, 2010;Zhang & Yasseri, 2016). Additionally, one reason that users may block or "unmatch" with prospective partners, thereby ghosting them, is in response to undesirable or inappropriate behaviors (Thomas & Dubar, 2021;Timmermans et al, 2020).…”

Finding Love on a First Data: Matching Algorithms in Online Dating

“…Matching algorithms also allowed sites to accomplish other goals, such as being able to charge higher fees for their services and enhancing user engagement and satisfaction (Jung et al, 2021;Sprecher, 2011). Since these algorithms did not have to work perfectly to be profitable (Sharabi & Timmermans, 2021), there was flexibility in how they made their recommendations. The sites that rose to popularity around this time claimed to provide 'scientific matching' and relied on lengthy questionnaires to gather data about their users' preferences (Sprecher, 2011).…”