Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- The Institute for Clinical Social Work, 2001. / A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Institute of Clinical Social Work in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

This thesis deals with online dating sites. An online dating site is an Internet site with the main objective to mediate between singles. It is a relay service, or dating service, not so different from the services long offered by the contact ads. The main difference is the agency over the Internet. The online dating sites in the sample are: E-kontakt; Match; and Mötesplatsen. The aim has been to clarify the structure of online dating sites. In concrete terms, it was about to discern patterns that can be interpreted as peculiar and common to play on online dating sites. By extension, it was about creating a better understanding of the service offered in the form of various search engines and other tools to find the big love. The thesis overall aim got manageable by three questions: 1) What is the usual treatment of unregistered visitors? 2) What features are offered to registered users? And, 3) what tools are provided to find a date? The thesis used two theoretical standpoints: the modified version of Al Cooper’s Triple-A Engine, which can be found in Christian Daneback’s thesis Love and sexuality on the internet from 2006; and Zygmunt Bauman: Liquid modernity from 2000 and Liquid love: On the frailty of human bonds from 2003. The empirical data was collected by an ethnographic approach. I used and took note of some of the services offered on the Internet sites I had intended to study. The reason is that many online dating sites require registration. The empirical data were analyzed with an analytical method developed by Malin Sveningsson, Mia Lövheim & Magnus Bergquist: Att fånga nätet: Kvalitativa metoder för internetforskning from 2003. The results landed in three answers: 1) The standard treatment is that online dating sites allow unregistered visitors to take part of the basal parts of the Internet sites features, but prevents non-registered visitors from contacting registered users. 2) Online dating sites offer three basic features for registered users: tools to a/ create a personal profile; b/ make contact; and c/ maintain a long-term relationship. 3) Online dating sites offer three basic tools that will facilitate the outreach of dating: a/ simple search engine; b/ advanced search engine; and c/ matchmaking functions. The overall result should be that online dating sites present both opportunities and constraints for users looking for love on the Internet.

Thesis (MA(Psychology))-University of Pretoria, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 44-47).

<p>This thesis deals with online dating sites. An online dating site is an Internet site with the main objective to mediate between singles. It is a relay service, or dating service, not so different from the services long offered by the contact ads. The main difference is the agency over the Internet. The online dating sites in the sample are: E-kontakt; Match; and Mötesplatsen.</p><p>The aim has been to clarify the structure of online dating sites. In concrete terms, it was about to discern patterns that can be interpreted as peculiar and common to play on online dating sites. By extension, it was about creating a better understanding of the service offered in the form of various search engines and other tools to find the big love. The thesis overall aim got manageable by three questions: 1) What is the usual treatment of unregistered visitors? 2) What features are offered to registered users? And, 3) what tools are provided to find a date?</p><p>The thesis used two theoretical standpoints: the modified version of Al Cooper’s Triple-A Engine, which can be found in Christian Daneback’s thesis <em>Love and sexuality on the internet</em> from 2006; and Zygmunt Bauman: <em>Liquid <em>modernity</em> from 2000 and <em>Liquid love: On the frailty of human bonds</em> from 2003.</em></p><p><em>The empirical data was collected by an ethnographic approach. I used and took note of some of the services offered on the Internet sites I had intended to study. The reason is that many online dating sites require registration. The empirical data were analyzed with an analytical method developed by Malin Sveningsson, Mia Lövheim & Magnus Bergquist: <em>Att fånga nätet: Kvalitativa metod<em>er för internetforskning</em> from 2003.</em></em></p><p><em><em>The results landed in three answers: 1) The standard treatment is that online dating sites allow unregistered visitors to take part of the basal parts of the Internet sites features, but prevents non-registered visitors from contacting registered users. 2) Online dating sites offer three basic features for registered users: tools to a/ create a personal profile; b/ make contact; and c/ maintain a long-term relationship. 3) Online dating sites offer three basic tools that will facilitate the outreach of dating: a/ simple search engine; b/ advanced search engine; and c/ matchmaking functions. The overall result should be that online dating sites present both opportunities and constraints for users looking for love on the Internet.</em></em></p>

The purpose of the research is to determine the feasibility of starting a dating company, which focuses specifically on the South African market. Further sub problems were defined as follow: • Which South Africans would use a dating service, that is, who will be the main customers? • Is there specifically identifiable information that can help to recognise customers? Or can a profile be created for to identify customers? • How much are the customers willing to pay? • Does or can technology play a role in in courtship? The role of technology was investigated, in which it was found that globalisation affects everyone. One of the core factors that caused many other technologies to evolve from it, is the Internet. The intranet was a natural evolution from the Internet, which is normally specific to a company. A further literature survey was conducted to gain an understanding of dating companies globally and locally, to gain an understanding of the subject, which was used to create a questionnaire. The questionnaire reached a 120 participants, with 52 participants responding, which relates to a response rate of 43.3 percent. The questionnaire produces 37 variables, which were correlated, and as a result it was recommended that it is feasible to start a dating company in South Africa.

The purpose of this study has been to investigate the virtual world that people are part of on online dating sites. To do this we have investigated two different research questions, which are the following: What functions do the online dating sites provide? Why and how are the online dating sites being used by their members? In order to gather information about these matters, we have used a qualitative method consisting of participating observation, scrutinizing and single person interviews. Our results indicate that people have different goals with their usage of online dating sites; some are looking for love, a long-term relationship while others are looking for sexual contact. There are many different online dating sites to choose from depending on the users’ objective. The online dating sites we have observed offer similar functions. To find someone of interest most of our interviewees use the search function. The way of initializing contact when finding someone of interest varies between our interviewees, but most of them send flirts and mails. Online dating offers a possible alternative for people to find a potential partner.

Online relationships are becoming increasingly popular due to the availability, accessibility, and affordability of online social networking and dating sites. Individuals are progressively moving from meeting romantic partners face to face to meeting and engaging with individuals online. There is ample evidence to support the view that individuals do initiate romantic relationships online and often these relationships progress offline. The primary focus of online research had been conducted by communication and linguistic scholars while very little research has been conducted into the psychological conceptualisation of online relationships. In addition, there is a lack of available research pertaining to the development of romantic relationships online and more so in South Africa. The current study utilised Sternberg’s Triangular model of love and the Johari window as a framework for understanding the concepts involved in online romantic relationships. The study specifically aimed to explore and describe the lived experiences of individuals who engage in online dating. The parameters of the study included the elements that comprise the online relationship, the subjective meaning attached to the relationships, and the processes these relationships encompass. The study moreover aimed to explore the progression of the online relationship. The study used a qualitative, phenomenological approach using snowball sampling and semi structured interviews to collect data. Tesch’s model of content analysis was used during data analysis while incorporating the four major processes in phenomenological research, namely (1) epoche, (2) phenomenological reduction, (3) imaginative variation and, (4) synthesis. The findings of the study generated a greater understanding of the complexities of online dating. Themes including online relationship development, the dynamics of online relationships, how love, according to the triangular model of love, is perceived online and, self-disclosure online were identified through the participants narratives. These findings ultimately can be used for future research.

Many South Africans are developing online relationships. Due to the anonymous and artificial context of the online environment it is possible that a person’s identity differs within the on- and offline environment. Sternberg’s (1986) Triangular Model of Love as well as Rogers’ Self Theory (1951) were utilized as a theoretical base for investigating online identity and intimacy. Using a qualitative, exploratory design, the study explored this phenomenon by analysing open ended questionnaires administered online to people in intimate online relationships. Participants were selected by means of non-probability snowball sampling. The findings indicated that Internet socialisers vary in their experience of their online identities. Individuals may have a multitude of genuine online selves, each one represented differently depending on the anonymity and level of intimacy in the relationship. Selfdisclosure and deception play an important role in identity representation and exploration and both are experienced as being affected by the online context.

This collection of nonfiction essays explores one woman’s journey of reentering the world of dating after getting divorced in her forties. Neither an exposé of online dating practices nor a dating how-to manual, these essays strive instead to examine the amusing, poignant, and often tragic ways in which we humans are aligned in our frailty, our brokenness, and ultimately in our redemptive search for love and higher meaning in life. They are also a reminder that there is much that is intrinsically valuable about this search, even when it is not ultimately successful.