28th Annual Student Research Conference
Racial Differences in initial contact message in online dating
Elizabeth S. Rehfeldt*, Max V. McDermott, Deyvnn C. Campbell, Jared S. Luebbert, Taylor M. Moore, Evan C. Bruce, Danny L. Hearst, Melissa L. Stockwell, Priyanka Prabhu, and Emily E. Koenig
Dr. Mark Hatala, Faculty Mentor
Do men actually read online dating profiles before they respond to them? And if they do, what factors mitigate whether they make specific reference to information contained in the profile? This research examines the effect of differences in race of the responder to an online personal ad in predicting the content of initial contact messages. Initial contact messages from two hundred nine male personals were coded for race and whether specific reference was made to information in the target profile. Controlling for race of the target ad, results indicated that white men were significantly more likely to comment about information in the target ad (p <.025).
Keywords: Psychology, Dating, Race, Online, Relationship
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 10-1
Location: GEO-SUB
Time: 3:30