Nina Sebescen

Anusha Rampally
Dr. Brian Butler
INST 714

Motivations for Joining Online Dating Sites

Online dating sites have become popular venues for people to find their significant others, have
fun or just meet new people who share similar beliefs and interests. Therefore it is not unusual
nowadays to hear stories from friends and family about people they met through online dating
sites.
Due to the rising popularity of online dating sites, the purpose of the project was to find out who
are the people who create profiles on online dating sites, what are their underlying motivations to
do so and how (if any) that motivation differs for people with different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
To find answers to those questions, the Pew Research Center online dating dataset was used
which contains survey results of 2,252 people across US over age 18
(http://www.pewinternet.org/datasets/may-2013-online-dating-prelim/). With the data available,
analysis was performed in both Excel and SPSS and some of the most interesting findings have
been reported.
Even though the dataset only has 89 records of people who have online dating site profiles and
accompanying motivations for joining, and even though we couldnt find the prototype person
that is most likely to join online dating sites for a particular motivation (based on this data), one
thing is for sure. Whether you are young or old, educated or not, straight or gay, wealthy or poor,
and belong to any ethnic group, there is a great chance that you will find something out there that
is of interest to you.

Nowadays, in the world in which every aspect of our lives is technology and Internet-driven, it
seems that people are more perceptive to online dating as well.
Here is what 2,252 people say about online dating sites:

55% of them agree that online dating sites are a good way to meet people
49% of them agree that online dating sites allow people to find a better match because
they can meet a lot more people online than otherwise
23% of them agree that online dating sites are only for desperate people
30% of them agree that online dating keeps people from settling down because they
always have options for people to date

What do people think about online dating sites?

Good Way to Meet
People

Allow People to Find a

Better Match

55%

49%

37%

41%

It is Only for
Desperate People

Keeps People from

Settling Down

23%

30%

69%

57%

Based on 2,252 survey participants

Out of 2,252 people in the survey, only 89 people had online dating site profiles and associated
motivations for joining the site. Possible reasons include:
1) Survey not catered specifically for online dating sites users
2) Survey not focused on finding the motivations for joining online dating sites
3) General low interest

Online Dating Site Profiles

Out of the 2,252 survey participants,

only 89 have profiles on at least one
of the online dating sites.

Survey not catered

specifically for online
dating sites users

Reasons

Survey not focused on

motivations for joining
online dating sites

General low interest

Characteristics of 89 people who have profiles on online dating sites include:

71% of online dating site users is between 19 and 49 years of age with the highest
percentage of them (28%) being people of ages 19-29
56% of online dating site users are males, 46% are females
68% of people who join online dating sites are Caucasian
86% of people who join online dating sites make between 0 and 100k a year with the
highest percentage (39%) of them making less than 30k
49% of online dating site users are high school graduates and people with Bachelors
degrees with the highest percentage of people being with Bachelors degrees (28%)
53% of online dating site users are employed full-time

89 People from US with Online Dating Site Profiles

With the abundance of online dating sites available, here is what 89 people with online dating
site profiles mostly use:

30% of online dating site users use Match.com

13% of online dating site users use e-Harmony
24% of online dating site users refused to mention the dating site used

What Online Dating Sites People Use?

Dating Sites
Match.com
e-Harmony

24%

30%

OK Cupid
Plenty Of Fish

11%
11%

13%
11%

Others (Christian Minge,

Zoosk, Jdate)
Refused

Pew Research Center members identified, in the survey, 5 major motivations shared by people
for joining online dating sites. Those include:
Meeting people with similar hobbies or interests
Looking for a long-term relationship or marriage
Meeting people who share similar beliefs or values
Meeting people who just want to have fun without being in a serious relationship
Having a schedule that makes it hard to meet interesting people in other ways

What Motivates People to Join Online Dating Sites?

Meet People with
Similar Hobbies
and Interests

Meet People with

Similar Beliefs and
Values
Look for Long-Term
Relationship and
Marriage

Look for Fun

without
Commitment

Dont Have Time

to Meet People
Elsewhere

For those 5 motivations, 89 people with online dating site profiles were asked to specify which
of those motivations is a major reason, minor reason or not a reason at all for them for joining
online dating sites. Here is what we found:
62% of them joined online dating sites to meet people who share similar hobbies and
interests
43% of them joined online dating sites to look for a long-term relationship and marriage
54% of them joined online dating sites to meet people who share similar beliefs and
values
23% of them joined online dating sites to have fun without a commitment
36% of them joined online dating sites because their schedules are hard to meet
interesting people other ways

Motivations and Reasons

Similar Hobbies and Interest

Major

Major

17%

Minor

21%

Long-Term Relationship
and Marriage

62%

Not a
reason at all

23%

Minor

43%
Not a reason
at all

34%

Have Fun Without

Commitment

Similar Beliefs and Values

Major
Major

25%
Minor

35%

23%

54%
21%

Not a reson at
all

Schedule Hard to Meet People

Other Ways
Major

25%

39%

36%

Minor
Not a reason at
all

42%

Minor
Not a
reason at all

After understanding what motivates people to join online dating sites, we went on to investigate
how each motivation differs (if at all) with peoples different ethnic and socio-economic
backgrounds. The most interesting findings are listed below for each motivation. The findings
are based on statistical difference found between various groups. Each number on the left side is
compared to the corresponding number on the right side (represents statistical significance).

Meet People with Similar Hobbies and Interests

More Likely

Compared to

1. Caucasian people
2. People of income level 50100k
3. People who have Bachelors
degree
4. African-Americans of income
level 0-30k
5. People from other races
(Asian, Hispanic, Mixed) of
income level 100+k
6. Females with Associate
Degree
7. People of income level 100+k
from Mid and South-Atlantic
and Northeast
8. Married African-American
9. African-American with poor
quality of life
10. People making 50-100k and
use paid online dating sites
11. Other race people (Asian,
Hispanic, Mixed) using Plenty
of Fish
12. African-Americans using OK
Cupid
13. African-Americans using
other dating sites (Christian
Mingle, Zoosk, JDate)

Less Likely
1. People from other races
(Asian, Hispanic, Mixed)
2. People who didnt specify
their income level
3. People with incomplete high
school
4. African-Americans of 100+k
5. People from other races
(Asian, Hispanic, Mixed) of
income level 50-100k
6. Females with incomplete high
school
7. People of income level 100+k
from Midwest
8. Widowed African-American
9. African-American with very
good quality of life
10. People making 100+k and use
paid online dating sites
11. African-American using
Plenty of Fish dating site
12. Other race people (Asian,
Hispanic, Mixed) using OK
Cupid
13. Other race people (Asian,
Hispanic, Mixed) using other
dating sites (Christian Mingle,
Zoosk, JDate)

Find Long-Term Relationship and Marriage

More Likely

Compared to

1. Caucasian people
2. People who are looking for a
relationship
3. People with Associates and
Bachelors degrees
4. People using Plenty of Fish
dating site
5. Males in rural areas
6. Other races (Asian, Hispanic,
Mixed) with very good quality
of life
7. Other races (Asian, Hispanic,
Mixed) with very good quality
of life
8. People with excellent quality
of life making 100+k
9. People with poor quality of life
making 30-50k

Less Likely
1. People from other races
(Asian, Hispanic, Mixed)
2. People who are not looking for
a relationship
3. People with Postgraduate and
Professional degrees
4. People using other dating sites
(Christian Mingle, Zoosk,
JDate)
5. Females in rural areas
6. African-Americans with very
good quality of life
7. Other races (Asian, Hispanic,
Mixed) with excellent quality
of life
8. People with excellent quality
of life making 30-50k
9. People with poor quality of life
without specifying their
income

Meet People with Similar Beliefs and Values

More Likely
1. People who didnt specify
their relationship status
2. People who live in rural areas
3. People in age group 40-49
from West
4. African-Americans with poor
quality of life
5. Other races (Asian, Hispanic,
Mixed) with very good quality
of life
6. People with excellent quality
of life not specifying their
income
7. People with very good quality
of life making 30-50k

Compared to

Less Likely
1. People who are both in
relationship and not in a
relationship
2. People who live in suburban
areas
3. People in age group 40-49 from
Northeast and people in age
group 50-59 from West
4. African-Americans with very
good quality of life
5. Other races (Asian, Hispanic,
Mixed) with excellent quality of
life
6. People with excellent quality of
life making 30-50k
7. People with very good quality of
life not specifying their income

Looking for Fun without Commitment

More Likely
1. People with income level of
100+k
2. People who didnt specify if
looking for a relationship or
not
3. People who let everyone see
their profile photo
4. African-Americans using eHarmony dating site
5. Other races (Asian, Hispanic,
Mixed) using OK Cupid dating
site

Compared to

Less Likely
1. People with other income
levels (0-30k, 30-50k, 50100k)
2. People who are not looking
for a relationship
3. People who control the
visibility of their profile photo
4. Other races (Asian, Hispanic,
Mixed) using e-Harmony
dating site
5. Caucasian people using OK
Cupid dating site

Schedule Hard to Meet Interesting People Other Ways

More Likely
1. People who are employed fulltime
2. People who have kids
3. People with very good quality
of life
4. People with some college and
Bachelors degree
5. People using Plenty of Fish
dating site
6. Females with some college and
Bachelors degree
7. Females from rural area
8. Caucasian people from rural
area

Compared to

Less Likely
1. People who are not employed
for pay
2. People who dont have kids
3. People with poor quality of life
4. People with Associate degree
and incomplete high school
5. People using e-Harmony and
other dating sites (Christian
Mingle, Zoosk, JDate)
6. Females with incomplete high
school
7. Females from urban area
8. African-Americans from rural
area

Here is how 89 people, who have online dating site profiles, responded when asked about their
online dating site experience and outcome:

16% of them found long-term relationship or marriage by using online dating sites
38% of them were matched or came across the profile of someone they knew
61% of them felt like someone else seriously misrepresented themselves in their profile
34% of them have been contacted by someone in a way that made them feel harassed or
uncomfortable

What do People Say after Using Online Dating Sites?

Found Long-Term
Relationship/Marriage

Matched with
Someone you Know

16%

38%

83%

61%

Found Misrepresented
Profiles

Felt Harassed and

Uncomfortable

61%

34%

36%

66%

Based on 89 survey participants with online dating site

profiles

From all the findings listed above, here are few general conclusions that we can draw.
1) The factors that influence differences in peoples motivation for joining online dating
sites include:
Race
Income level
Education level
Employment
Looking for Partner or not
Profile photo visibility
Parenthood
Quality of life
Location (rural, urban, suburban areas)
2) The factors that do not influence differences in peoples motivation to join online dating
sites include:
Age
Gender
US regions (regions by states)
Sexual preferences (straight, gay, and etc.)
Marital statuses
Living alone or with multiple people in the household
Using paid vs. free online dating sites
Additionally, findings show that even though a single factor (in some cases) may not influence
differences in peoples motivations to join online dating sites, multiple factors combined together
may show differences in peoples motivations.
This leads us to believe that besides knowing a persons ethnic and socio-economic background,
it is also important to understand their life circumstances and situations and take as many factors
as possible into account to comprehend what motivates them to join online dating sites.
For future research, it would be nice to see the results of the same study (to compare and
contrast) with the following considered:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Survey catered specifically for online dating site users

Obtain data from online dating sites (less biased than survey)
Bigger sample size
Interviews to be conducted after the survey to confirm the results