New research in Psychology of Women Quarterly explores the relationship between how one presents themselves on social media platforms and their tendency to self-objectify. Researcher Shilei Chen and colleagues conducted four studies across different social media platforms looking for confirmation of this relationship and its potential causes. Their results indicate that as women engage in more strategic self-presentation on social media platforms, their self-objectification increases. Their work also revealed that approval motivation might be the key to this relationship. Recognizing the conse ..read more

In a guest editorial at the journal of Bioethics, Joona Räsänen of  Aarhus University discusses the possibility of sexual loneliness as a neglected public health problem. A recent study found that between the years 2000-2002 and 2016-2018, the proportion of men between ages 18-24 who reported no sexual activity over the past year increased from roughly 19% to 31%. However, this trend did not apply to women. A similar pattern has been confirmed in other research as well. Despite this trend among men, there is also another pattern at play; there is a category of men who report having more s ..read more

New research indicates that higher levels of certain “dark” personality traits are associated with seeking short-term mating more and long-term mating less. Persons with pronounced “light” personality traits showed an opposite tendency. The study was published in Interpersona, an International Journal of Personal Relationships. “In recent years, the use of online dating websites and applications, as well as social media platforms, has seen a surge in popularity as people look for romantic and/or sexual partners,” explained study author Ljubisa Bojić, a research fellow and coordinator of the Di ..read more

An analysis of 308 dating profiles revealed that people who show originality in their bios are seen as more intelligent and more funny, and in turn, more attractive. Original profile bios tended to contain more self-disclosure and more stylistic features like metaphors. These findings were published in the journal PLOS One. Originality is often touted as an attractive quality in a romantic partner, although this may be a fine line to tread. Originality can communicate intelligence and sense of humor, but being too different can violate social norms and come across as inappropriate and odd. Res ..read more

A new survey of MTurk workers revealed that individuals high in attachment anxiety reported higher use of dating apps, but also more negative experiences after recent sexual encounters both with partners they met online and those they met offline. Individuals high in avoidance reported more negative experiences after recent sexual encounters with partners, but only with those they met offline. The study was published in the International Journal of Sexual Health. Use of internet-based dating applications to facilitate romantic relationships and sexual encounters has seen a fast expansion in re ..read more

Men who maintain a sexualized presence on dating apps are less appealing to women, according to findings published in Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. The study found that women rated a man lower in competence and more prone to risky sexual behavior when his Tinder profile featured a shirtless photo or indicated an interest in casual sex. While scientists have explored people’s perceptions of sexualized images in the media, the majority of this research has focused on images of women. The authors of the new study aimed to extend this research by investigating how people perceive sex ..read more

Findings published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking suggest that keeping a romantic interest on the side as a “backup” is especially harmful when that person is an ex-partner. The study found that participants who kept an ex on the back burner when in a committed relationship engaged in more communication with that ex, and in turn, were more likely to engage in sexual activities with their ex and more likely to experience negative affect. Studies suggest that many people keep in touch with their exes even as they form new, committed relationships. When ..read more

People’s initial decision to choose or reject a potential partner on a dating app is based primarily on their attractiveness and race, according to a new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality. The findings suggest that people of color face barriers to dating on mobile apps such as Tinder. “Dating on mobile apps has turned traditional dating on its head. A lot of the current research we have on how people meet romantic partners comes from relatively controlled settings — meeting through friends, at work, out in public, or online,” said lead author William J. Chopik, an assoc ..read more

New research published in Computers in Human Behavior sheds light on the most effective pick-up lines to use on dating platforms such as Tinder. The findings indicate that women tend to prefer receiving pick-up lines that contain either humor or a compliment. “My co-author, Robert Robbins (who was my graduate advisee when the research was conducted), was really interested in this topic. He used Tinder to date and noticed that the outcomes were different when he used different opening lines to chat with others. That made us wonder about how dating profiles and pick-up lines influenced dating ou ..read more

A study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking suggests that dating apps are especially alluring for men and women with social anxiety and depression. Despite this allure, dating apps do not necessarily eliminate the dating struggles faced by this population — at least not for men. The data revealed that men with greater social anxiety and depression symptoms were less likely to reach out to matches. While finding “the one” is no easy feat for anyone, people with mental health issues often find this task especially difficult. In particular, people with social anxiety car ..read more