Attraction in Dating Apps: Does Motive Play a Role?

This study investigates whether motive to use dating apps goes against a more traditional theory of attraction, that we are attracted to those we perceive as being the same level of attractiveness as we perceive ourselves, and plays a role in who people deem as being attractive. This further goes on to explore the gender differences in motives while using these dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, etc. Respondents were gathered of 103 college students mainly ranging between the ages of 18-23 years of age. Participants responded to a survey asking a multitude of questions, including how people rate themselves physically and whether they would “swipe right” or “swipe left” on the mock dating profiles presented to them. The profiles fell under 3 segments defined after a pilot study of being either less attractive, of average attraction, or highly attractive. Results discovered a clear difference between the motives men and women have for using these dating apps. The motives of males being more temporary relationships; while, on the other hand, female’s motives were looking largely for either self-validation or more permanent relationships. These apps are considered new technology in the world of dating and have yet to be extensively researched because it has not been on the market for a substantial amount of time. However, the prevalence of these apps continues to grow amongst many different demographics, and this research takes a deeper look into how intentions in dating apps influence who people find as being a suitable partner for themselves depending on their motives for using these apps.