Finding a Partner in the Virtual Environment: Motives and Psychosocial Characteristics of Online Dating Site Users in Croatia

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Title (croatian): Pronalazak partnera u virtualnom svijetu: motivi i psihosocijalna obilježja korisnika internetskih servisa za upoznavanje u Hrvatskoj
• Author: Antonia Matković https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5310-4012
• Author: Ivan Landripet https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6276-9742
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Sociology)
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Sociology

Abstract (english)

Contemporary lifestyles and availability of information and communications technologies underlie changes in the way that intimate relationships are being established. Among other indicators, this is evident from the rising popularity of online dating over the more traditional intermediaries in meeting partners. To explore basic motives, sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics, stereotypes, and outcomes associated with the use of online dating sites (ODS) in Croatia, an online survey was carried out in 2014 on a sample of 594 ODS users and non-users. It was the first study that focused on ODS use in Croatia. Results indicated that – irrespective of gender – about 90% of ODS users met face-to-face with people they had previously made contacts with over ODS. The majority among them established romantic relationships, became friends, or engaged in sexual intercourse following offline meetings. Although most of the non-users scored low on stigmatizing stereotypes associated with ODS use, the ODS users tended to report keeping their ODS-related activities a secret to avoid being labelled desperate or deviant. Both bivariate and multivariate procedures indicated that lower sociability, lower self-esteem, and higher sexual compulsivity were associated with ODS use, but the effect was small. No evidence of differences between ODS users and non-users was found on most of the other measured characteristics. This points to a conclusion that ODS use represents a practical alternative to conventional means of meeting partners rather than a pairing strategy favoured by people with uncommon preferences and traits. The authors discuss study limitations and provide guidelines for future research of ODS use as a growing yet currently under-researched social phenomenon in Croatia.

Abstract (croatian)

Zahtjevi suvremenog načina života i dostupnost informacijsko-komunikacijskih tehnologija odražavaju se na proces uspostavljanja intimnih veza, uslijed čega praksa korištenja interneta u svrhu pronalaska partnera u popularnosti počinje sustizati tradicionalne načine pronalaženja partnera. Nadovezujući se na postojeće hrvatske studije internetski posredovanih romantičnih i seksualnih aktivnosti, sredinom 2014. putem internetske ankete provedeno je prvo ciljano istraživanje korištenja internetskih servisa za upoznavanje u Hrvatskoj. Na uzorku od 594 korisnika i nekorisnika ispitani su osnovni motivi, predrasude i ishodi vezani za upotrebu servisa te razlike između korisnika i nekorisnika u temeljnim sociodemografskim i psihosocijalnim obilježjima. Rezultati pokazuju da se, neovisno o spolu, gotovo 90% korisnika iz tog uzorka uživo susrelo s drugim korisnicima, a većina je s njima potom stupila u romantičnu vezu, seksualni odnos ili prijateljstvo. Iako tek manji udio nekorisnika izražava stigmatizirajuća stereotipna viđenja prema njima, korisnici su skloni skrivanju tih aktivnosti, strahujući da će ih se smatrati očajnicima ili čudacima. Bivarijatne i multivarijatne analize indiciraju da korisnici jesu manje društveni i samopouzdani te seksualno kompulzivniji od nekorisnika, ali i da je efekt tih veza slab. U kombinaciji s nalazima o blago izraženim ili nepostojećim razlikama između korisnika i nekorisnika te korisnica i korisnika u nizu drugih mjerenih obilježja, to upućuje na zaključak da korištenje internetskih servisa namijenjenih upoznavanju partnera prije predstavlja praktičnu zamjenu za konvencionalne društvene posrednike negoli medij koji okuplja ljude specifičnih obilježja i preferencija. Na kraju rada ponuđene su preporuke za provođenje daljnjih istraživanja nužnih za produbljivanje spoznaja o tom raširenom, a u Hrvatskoj gotovo neistraženom, obliku društvene interakcije.

• Keywords (english): online dating sites; the Internet; self-esteem; sociability; dating anxiety; sexual compulsivity
• Keywords (croatian): internetski servisi za upoznavanje partnera; internet; samopouzdanje; društvenost; anksioznost vezana za izlaženje s potencijalnim partnerima; seksualna kompulzivnost
• Language: croatian
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: Revija za sociologiju
• Numbering: vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 37-67
• p-ISSN: 0350-154X
• e-ISSN: 1846-7954
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5613/rzs.45.1.2
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:056855
• Publication: 2015
• Document URL: https://hrcak.srce.hr/142960
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-05-11 16:32:37