Abstract
The online environment has had a profound sociocultural impact, and its implications pose new challenges to modern-day societies. The digital sexual and dating domains have dramatically affected sexual and romantic behavior and norms, and yet, no empirical studies have addressed the role of the sexual self-concept in driving sexual and romantic online behavior. The aim of this study is to identify reliable sexual self-configurations through a cluster analysis approach and determine whether these profiles are informative in relation to app use motives and sexual outcomes. For this purpose, a total of 244 subjects were recruited. Survey questions measured a set of demographic parameters, motives for app use, online sexual activities, attachment orientations, the sexual self-concept and sexual satisfaction. Five clusters were identified, including two with high levels of sexual drive (“Driven” and “Adventurous”), two with low levels of sexual drive (“Unassured” and “Naïve”) and one with an intermediate level of sexual drive (“Competent”). The clusters differed on gender, attachment styles, app use patterns and sexual characteristics. These findings provide insight into how the sexual self-concept relates to the interaction between individuals and the online sexual and dating scenes.
Highlights
Digital media has become part of our everyday lives and has had a profound impact on the way identity is formed [1] and on how people organize and approach a wide range of experiences
Given the significant impact that the digital domain has on both individuals and the sociocultural landscape, this study aims to further advance research on this topic by investigating characteristics of online app use and online sexual activities within specific configurations of sexual self-characteristics
In order to further confirm separation among clusters, the scores for each variable included in the cluster analysis were introduced into a discriminant function analysis, grouped by the identified clusters
Summary
Digital media has become part of our everyday lives and has had a profound impact on the way identity is formed [1] and on how people organize and approach a wide range of experiences. The practical implications that followed the ever-increasing space of virtual interconnectedness and ease of access to information, services and people are highly complex and pose new challenges to individuals in modern-day societies. One such important feature of the online environment is constituted by social media and dating apps that have offered unprecedented access to the dating market and provided opportunities for interacting and meeting new people. Given the significant impact that the digital domain has on both individuals and the sociocultural landscape, this study aims to further advance research on this topic by investigating characteristics of online app use and online sexual activities within specific configurations of sexual self-characteristics
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