Online dating - Research Proposal Example

Lecturer: Online Dating INTRODUCTION Background Online dating has tremendously increased over the past decades due to increased technological advancement. The use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Skype and many other social networking sites have made communication easier; thus facilitating online dating. There are popular dating websites and most of them offer free dating with profile search and messaging. The research study indicates that over the past decades, over 40 million unique visitors in the United States utilize online dating websites and more than 7 million online dating users have met face-to-face by their online partners. Technology advancement has changed the lifestyles of many people in the society because it has made communication easier; thus, couples are nowadays able to find their soul mates through use of social media services. It has become a popular and significant strategy of finding or searching for a romantic partner. However, although online dating has turned into a significant strategy for finding romantic soul mates, it has become a serious cybercrime. Thus, the research project attempt to explore the extent to which online dating has become common, how is it a legitimate approach of meeting soul mates or romantic partners and the risks it poses to the users. Scope of the study The research project encompasses varied aspects including ways through which online dating is an effective or legitimate approach of finding a romantic partner. It examines the way increased use of online websites and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and many others have led to serious cybercrimes. It reveals the risks that online dating has posed to the society or the consequences that result such as fraud, rape, death and other cases due to use of online services. The research also attempts to explore the way online dating has demographically increased and the common users of social networking sites. The theoretical models employed include use of research questions and hypothesis, which should be tested to find if the result is true or false. The research employs varied research methods and utilizes data collection methods such as surveys, experiments, secondary sources and existing data for collecting information-sampling method. Study Objectives The research study aims to reveal the extent to which online dating has become common and significant strategy for finding a romantic partner. To find out how online dating is a legitimate approach of finding the soul mate or a romantic partner. To examine the extent to which online dating has become common and the age group of people who mostly utilize it in the current society. To find out the risks that social networking or websites used for online dating pose to the users. Significance of the Study The research study is significant because it raises awareness on the risks that online dating poses to the users. It educates the society on the significant of online dating, but cautions them on the way it may lead to varied consequences too; thus encouraging the online user to make wise decision before accepting any friend request from strangers. Therefore, it is significant because it will educate the mass on the need to significant decision when utilizing computer-based technologies for online dating; thus avoid any negative impact that may arise. LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter will utilize varied literature sources in order to examine the way previous researchers have examined the issue of online dating. Online dating have recently become a field of concern for many researchers. Valkenburg and Jochen (849) argue that online dating has become a fundamental strategy for finding romantic partners. Online dating has tremendously increased for the past two years because it offers an opportunity for forming and maintaining relationships through the Internet. Alan (18) also argues that online dating services offer users a convenient and affordable alternative to traditional methods of dating. The author explore insight to the online dating activities and employ varied research approaches to evaluate the way online dating has become a sound customer relations management practices; thus the online dating industry has significantly increased. Therefore, the industry should be careful by following legal ramifications since the information that they gather need to remain confidential and private. Kim, Kwon and Lee (445) assert that the primary motivation for utilizing Internet dating services is to find romantic relationships. The previous research studies carried out revealed that Internet dating is related to the level of participation based on how significant romantic relationships are to online individuals. Therefore, it is considered as one way of promoting self-esteem among those who place great significant of romantic relationships. Sritharan, Heilpern, Wilbur and Gawronski (1062) also argue that the rise in popularity of online dating has tremendously increased. Many online users post their profile picture with varied attributes that influence the interpersonal likeability as a potential mate. Houran, Rentfrow and Bruckner (507) argue that online matchmaking has become a culturally legitimate way of selecting a soul mate. It has become the common and acceptable method effective for finding a romantic partner or a marriage partner. The author offer empirical evidence that was carried out in order to determine the way online dating has become an effective method of finding a romantic partner. Another empirical investigations that was carried out revealed that online daters have become prone to establishing serious relationships (Houran 298). Thus, the advent of matchmaking services has significantly increased the opportunities for singles to meet their soul mates. However, other researchers have argued that online dating is a risk aspect because many online daters have ended up in the wrong hands of cyber criminals (Whitty and Buchanan 183; Sautter, Rebecca and Morgan557). Many people especially the teenagers are at risk because many of them invite strangers and agree to meet them in private places. This has led to rape and other sort of crimes, but the research indicates that despite these consequences, the use of social networking sites will continue to increase (Stevens and Morris, 683). Even though the use of social networking and Internet make communication easier, communications are not necessarily uniform across cultures; thus impacting online dating activities (Farrer and J Gavin 408). THEORETICAL MODEL Research Questions 1. Is online dating an important strategy and a legitimate approach of finding a romantic partners or soul mates in the contemporary society? 2. What are the impacts or risks that may arise from use of Social networking sites and online dating websites for finding a romantic partner? 3. To what extent do online, dating activities have been common and which category of people visits online dating sites? Core Hypothesis The core hypothesis pertaining to the phenomena explains the user’s tendency to use Internet or social networking sites for online dating: to social benefits and social consequences or risks hypothesis. RESEARCH METHODS Study Location and Population The researcher will utilize both qualitative and quantitative research methods for collecting data. Therefore, the research study will take place within the United States; thus, it will cover all categories of people including different age group, sex, ethnicity or people from different race and sexual orientation. Moreover, the researcher will utilize research methods effective that will enable him or her to cover a population of 10 million people in the United States. This will be done through carrying out sampling methods, survey and utilizing other existing data in order to examine the way many people use Internet for online dating and the benefits or consequences that will arise. Data Collection Methods The researcher will employ varied research methods for collecting data such as use of experiments, surveys, content secondary sources and existing data. Experiments: The researcher will use controlled experiments in order to produce causality statements. He/she will control the experiments in order to produce unambiguous responses to the research queries. Surveys: The researcher will use sample survey in order to cover a wider location within the controlled study population. This is because the sample survey is a reliable method and sound effective since it saves times by narrowing the research design. Secondary Sources and Existing Data: This will include use of secondary printed sources such as printed books, academic or peer reviewed journals, websites, articles and online books. The researcher will collect information from the already existing data, which have been published by other scholars. Sampling Description: The researcher will offer a brief description on the way the sample study will be carried out. This will reveal the way the researcher will utilize sampling methods based on the study interventions and the result that will meet the inclusion criterion. The researcher will describe the way sample size of the participants within the study population would be carried out. The sample design will be limited to a particular number of participants since this will enable the researcher to gather adequate information significant for study evaluation. Clustering/Stratifying/sampling unit: The researcher will cluster or stratify the population into sub-groups but in the homogenous manner. He/she will divide the population into varied sample size in a mutually exclusive manner and each sampled group will be assigned to one stratum only. Sample size: The researcher will choose the number of participants through random sampling or replicates the sample size to include a statistical sample; thus use of ta les or figures will be significant. The sample size will determine the outlay of data collection and it will have sufficient statistical power in order to provide viable results. Measurement Dependent variables: The researcher will use experimental variables to measure or determine what would be affected during the experiment of online dating. This measure is significant because it responds to the independent variable that the researcher will employ. Independent variables: The researcher will also employ independent variables to predict the measures or controlled variables. This is whereby the researcher will have to manipulate the results in order to find out the way online dating will pose risk or offer significant benefits to the users, as well as, determine the most online category of online dating users. Control Variables: The researcher will control the variables by keeping the measure constant in order to measure the extent to which age, income, education and visits of dating sites on the Internet vary. This is through determining how often online dating users post their personal information or update profiles. He/she will also determine how many people have become successful or impacted through online dating. Analytical Strategy The researcher will use analytical strategies to eliminate the seemingly irrelevant explanatory variables. The purpose of this is to evaluate as to whether the variables employed in the research study are necessary and if so, the researcher will estimate the baseline values of the variance components such as random parameters. This strategy will enable the researcher to employ effective number of parameter that can be manageable; thus producing better results. Conclusions The conclusion part will provide the summary of the research topic and the author will restate the thesis. It will include the recommendation or suggestions for reducing online dating risks. It will also include the need for future research on the topic in order to advance research activities for online dating. Works Cited Alan, Smith, D. "Exploring Online Dating and Customer Relationship Management." Online Information Review. 29.1 (2005): 18-33. Print. Farrer, J, and J Gavin. "Online Dating in Japan: a Test of Social Information Processing Theory." Cyber psychology & Behavior : the Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society. 12.4 (2009): 407-12. Print. Houran, James, Rentfrow, Jason and Bruckner, Karin. Do Online Matchmaking Tests Work? An Assessment of Preliminary Evidence for a Publicized 'Predictive Model of Marital Success'. North America Journal of Psychology. 6.3 (2004): 507-526. Print. Houran, James. Expectations of findings a “soul mate” with online dating. North America Journal of Psychology. 6.2 (2004): 297-308. Print. Kim, M, KN Kwon, and M Lee. "Psychological Characteristics of Internet Dating Service Users: the Effect of Self-Esteem, Involvement, and Sociability on the Use of Internet Dating Services." Cyberpsychology & Behavior : the Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society. 12.4 (2009): 445-9. Print. Sautter, Jessica M, Rebecca M. Tippett, and S P. Morgan. "The Social Demography of Internet Dating in the United States." Social Science Quarterly. 91.2 (2010): 554-575. Print. Stevens, SB, and TL Morris. "College Dating and Social Anxiety: Using the Internet As a Means of Connecting to Others." Cyberpsychology & Behavior : the Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society. 10.5 (2007): 680-8. Print. Sritharan, R, K Heilpern, C.J Wilbur, and B Gawronski. "I Think I Like You: Spontaneous and Deliberate Evaluations of Potential Romantic Partners in an Online Dating Context." European Journal of Social Psychology. 40.6 (2010): 1062-1077. Print. Whitty, T Monica, and Buchanan, Tom. "The Online Romance Scam: a Serious Cybercrime." Cyber psychology, Behavior and Social Networking. 15.3 (2012): 181-3. Print. Valkenburg, Patti M, and Jochen Peter. "Who Visits Online Dating Sites? Exploring Some Characteristics of Online Daters." Cyberpsychology & Behavior. 10.6 (2007): 849-852. Print. Read More