Experiences of the mobile dating applications users: a cluster analysis

Abstract

The growing popularity of dating apps has been noted in recent years, but the nature of the user experience of dating apps is heterogeneous. The present study aimed to investigate the experiences of dating app users and distinguish their types based on cluster analysis. An exploratory study was conducted online among 406 adults who have used online dating. Survey questions investigated: motives for online dating, perceived pressure to find a partner, length of use of the dating app, usability rating, perceived benefits and well-being after using dating apps, frequency of experiencing negative events while dating, reasons for and number of deletions of dating profile. Three credible clusters were identified: “persistent” - people who are mainly looking for a relationship, have long periods of use of the app and delete it less often; “for a while”. - are those with different motives for online dating, use the app briefly and rarely return to it, and are characterized by a small number of difficult online situations; "hurt" - people with motives other than looking for a relationship, have many negative experiences and most often delete dating apps. The clusters differed in age, gender, relationship status, motives (relationships vs. other motives), pressure (pressure, no pressure).