Suspiciously Swiping: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis on Perceived Online Dating Misrepresentation

The focus of this study was to qualitatively explore current online daters’ experiences of perceived misrepresentation. Specifically, this study sought to answer four research questions surrounding how current online daters discover, respond to, and reflect on experiences of perceived online dating misrepresentation, and understand how these experiences influence their decision to continue to search for connection through online dating. To help guide the process of answering the research questions, expectancy violations were used as a sensitizing concept to help direct and focus the analysis and data collection. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 emerging adults between the ages of 18-29 who were currently online dating and living in the United States, with 14 participants participating in member reflection secondary interviews. The data was analyzed through a reflexive thematic analysis, which resulted in the creation of themes and codes that answered each research question. The findings of the study illustrate the context cues that tip participants off to instances of perceived online dating misrepresentation, and how participants choose whether to continue conversing with their online dating match after discovering perceived misrepresentation. The results of this study also revealed how participants reflect on the impacts and lessons learned from their perceived online dating misrepresentation experiences such as cultivating empathy for their online dating matches and reflecting on their own enactment of online dating misrepresentation. Finally, the findings demonstrate the influence of experiences of perceived online dating misrepresentation on participants’ overall feelings towards online dating as a relational development tool, and how they bolster their vetting process to protect against future experiences of online dating misrepresentation. The findings of this study carry theoretical implications for extending interpersonal communication, online dating, and technology literature, as well as theories such as expectancy violations theory, warranting theory, and truth-default theory. Importantly, this study demonstrates how the culture of online dating is normalizing the presence of misrepresentation. Limitations of the study and future directions of research are discussed.