CMNS 421 - Assignment 2 Paige Murray

2. The need to affiliate with others is an inventible
aspect of human nature that is rooted in our
biological makeup.
Scientists speculate that humans originally formed
lasting relationships amongst themselves due to
physical vulnerability and survival instinct.
However, real-life experience will indicate that not
everyone feels this need as greatly as others.

3. This need for affiliation has been studied in-depth in
recent years, and has subsequently been broken
into several different areas.
Friendship motivation, defined as the need to
establish warm interpersonal relationships, is one of
these newly discovered forms.

4. Friendship motivation has also been broken down into
four key components by scientist Hill (1987).
Click to view friendship motivation Mindmeister

5. When the majority of individuals set out to establish
interpersonal relationships they rely on observable
characteristics, such as physical attributes,
stereotypes, style, and mannerisms.
These initial points of judgement in face-to-face
encounters usually determine if a relationship will
be established before any actual interaction takes
place.

6. In terms of romantic, intimate relationships these
observable characteristics gain even more
emphasis. Many people have a certain ―type‖ of
person they are most attracted to.
Both negative and positive stereotypes also play a
larger role when hunting for potential mates,
because the risk is higher.
A male who believes the stereotype that beautiful
women are materialistic would be more likely to
select that woman as a friend, than a potential
wife.

7. As more individuals take to the Internet to find a
suitable romantic partner what happens to these
observable characteristics? How are first
impressions formed?

8. Many researchers who study online relationships
reveal that superficial judgement and stereotypes
are often eliminated when users interact online
due to the importance of the written word.
Personalities and legitimate characteristics are all
that remain, causing users to redefine what it
means to be ―attractive.‖
New research by various sources, including McKenna
et al. (2002), shows that removing observable
characteristics from newly forming relationships
creates longer-lasting bonds and greater levels of
satisfaction.

9. While the majority of these studies were conducted
on the chat rooms of the past, it appears the facts
hold true in the modern world of online dating,
expanding to explain the popularity of online
match-making services in recent years.
According to a study conducted in 2010 by
premier dating site, Match.com, 1 in 5 people in a
committed relationship met their significant other
online.

10. The study also revealed that 17% of couples
married within the last three years, met each other
on an online dating site.
Considering the study was conducted three years
ago, these statistics are nearly guaranteed to be
much higher today as nearly all dating sites boast
significantly greater user numbers.

11. So why is online dating so popular? Psychologists
and researchers have explanations as varied as
the individual users themselves.
An extensive study performed by Madden and
Lenhart (2006) reveals a number of reasons why
people searching for an intimate relationship take
their hunt online:
 55% of relationship-seeking individuals claim is it
difficult to meet people where they live due to
geography and a lack of proximity.
 47% of Internet users believe online dating helps to
facilitate better, more compatible pairings.
 44% of online daters believe the method is simply
easier than face-to-face encounters.

12. However, not all online daters and Internet users
share the same view.
There is a seemingly endless number of blogs that
describe the adventures of online dating by users
themselves, and while some tell tales that end in
happily ever after, others sound eerily similar to the
plots of horror films.

13. Not only does the Internet allow users to
communicate with potential suitors, it allows them
to educate other online daters on the process and
provide advice through such blogs.
Click to view online dating blogs

14. Madden and Lenhart’s 2006 study also addresses
the wide-spread stigma associated with online
dating: it’s a dangerous act of desperation for
those who struggle with interpersonal relationships
and face-to-face dialogue.
Their findings show that 29% of Internet users believe
online daters are in dire dating straits; however
studies and experience prove this is not the case.

15. After interviewing a friend who has used several
online dating sites over the last two years, her
responses demonstrated the opposite.
As a skilled communicator working in multiple
positions of customer service and coordination,
Jenna meets potential suitors at work on a weekly
basis and prides herself on being comfortable in
real-life social situations.
However, she chooses online dating because of
her busy schedule and the belief that online dating
will generate more probable relationships than
random face-to-face encounters will.

16. However, online dating, like all online activities, is
not without risk.
Madden and Lenhart (2006) claim that 66% of
Internet users believe online dating is a dangerous
activity because it requires personal information to
be placed Internet, and they are not alone.
We often hear online dating stories where lies result
in a tragic ending or the uncovering of a deceitful
portrayal regarding identity, age, occupation and
even gender.

17. Epstein (2007) agrees, and even reveals personal online
dating encounters that prove such deception does
occur.
―Cyberspace introduces a host of new possibilities.
Survey research conducted by media researcher
Jeana Frost of Boston University and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology suggests that about 20 percent
of online daters admit to deception. If you ask them
how many other people are lying, however—an
interviewing tactic that probably gets closer to the
truth—that number jumps to 90 percent,‖ (Epstein, 2007,
p. 31).
However, he also raises the point that such deception
can also occur in face-to-face dating encounters as
well, and on less extreme scale is generally a common
component of dating.

18. So, with its stigmas, possible risks, and doubts
regarding success, is falling in love online even
possible? Science says yes.
McKenna et al. (2002) discovered in some cases,
relationships established online may be more
functional than those established in traditional
face-to-face encounters.
The study found that 70% of relationships founded
online were still intact two year later, while only 55%
of relationships established face-to-face survived
the same duration.

19. Since the Internet was first integrated into everyday
communication, questions have always arisen
regarding its safety, authenticity, and morality.
Today, as computer mediated communication is
commonly used for something as intimate as
establishing romantic relationships, these questions
play a larger role than ever.
However, falling in love online or offline is never
straightforward. Regardless of brave online
techniques or traditional face-to-face encounters,
basic communication is ultimately the key.

20. Epstein, R. (2007, February 1). The truth about online dating. Scientific American mind, 18(1), 28–35.
Madden, M. & Lenhart, A. (2006, March 5). Online dating. In Pew internet & American life project. Retrieved
from http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2006/PIP_Online_Dating.pdf.pdf
Match.com and Chadwick Martin Bailey 2009 - 2010 studies. Retrieved from
http://cp.match.com/cppp/media/CMB_Study.pdf
Shedletsky, L., & Aitken, J. (2004). Human communication on the internet. Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon/Longman.
Chosen tools from 100+ exmaples of use of social media for learning are:
• presentation sharing in the form of Slideshare assignment submission
• Social networking in the form of Facebook for interviewing friends who use online dating.
• Blogging in the form the three examples of how users who use online dating sites also communicate
with peers regarding advice and personal experiences.
• Collaborative mind mapping in the form of friendship motivation Mindmeister diagram.