Understanding active participation of online dating services: A mixed methods study

2023 | Decision Support Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Chen, Qi; Yun, Guobiao; Lu, Jiandong; Wang, Xiaolei

Abstract: Online dating has transformed the way people meet and start relationships. Howev ... Expand

Abstract: Online dating has transformed the way people meet and start relationships. However, online dating platforms typically have many lurkers without active participation. Using a self-regulation framework, this paper aims to study users’ active participation in online dating through a mixed methods study. We first conducted qualitative and quantitative investigations with a machine learning method to explore user active participation and its antecedents. We then developed a theoretical model and conducted a statistical analysis of the model. The empirical findings showed that service quality and trust significantly affected individual active participation in a dating site through attachments to the daters and services. The findings of the study contribute to the extant literature by analyzing user participation in online dating from an attachment perspective. Collapse

Topics: service quality online dating participatory design online dating service Python

Methods: design methodology mixed method qualitative coding machine learning machine learning method

Theories: attachment theory marketing theory

Do women and men click differently? Mobile devices mitigate gender differences in online dating

2023 | Information & Management | Citations: 1

Authors: Fink, Lior; Ilany-Tzur, Naama; Yam, Hadar; Sokhina, Svetlana

Abstract: Online dating has replaced traditional offline venues largely because of the str ... Expand

Abstract: Online dating has replaced traditional offline venues largely because of the structured presentation of visual and verbal information about potential partners. This study shows that including verbal information alongside visual information in online dating profiles affects attractiveness assessments by women more favorably than it affects those by men. These gender differences, however, are mitigated by using a mobile device instead of a personal computer. The findings extend the selectivity model, as well as the literature on online dating and mobile use, by highlighting gender differences in processing specific information types and by identifying the device as a boundary condition. Collapse

Topics: online dating mobile system website smartphone user behavior

Methods: experiment statistical hypothesis test regression analysis method descriptive statistic experimental task

Diversity in Digital Pill Systems: Differences in Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Use of a Digital Pill System for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men with Diverse Racial and Ethnic Identities

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Lee, J.; Albrechta, H.; Goodman, G.; De, D.; Takabatake, K.; O’Cleirigh, C.; Mayer, K.; Fisher, C.; Carnes, C.; Chai, P.

Abstract: Nonadherence, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) with substance ... Expand

Abstract: Nonadherence, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) with substance use disorders, increases the risk of HIV acquisition. Measuring adherence to HIV pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PrEP), and responding to suboptimal adherence or changes in adherence behavior remains a challenging public health problem. Despite the importance of accurate adherence measurement, there is no gold standard for detecting medication ingestion events in HIV research. Current adherence measures indirectly infer ingestion events or measure medication concentrations over time, yet such approaches fail to provide direct confirmation of ingestions and contextual information surrounding adherence and nonadherence. A digital pill system (DPS) -a novel tool that leverages ingestible radiofrequency sensors to measure actual ingestion events -may advance adherence measurement in HIV research. We examined and compared the willingness of MSM across racial and ethnic identities to operate a DPS in the context of PrEP adherence measurement and suggest potential future applications of this technology. Collapse

Topics: usability Grindr online dating privacy healthcare data

Methods: chi squared test survey self reported survey survey design Student's t-test

How Ephemerality Features Affect User Engagement with Social Media Platforms

2023 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Lehrer, Christiane; Constantiou, Ioanna; Matt, Christian; Hess, Thomas

Abstract: User engagement, a key factor in the success of social media platforms, has lon ... Expand

Abstract: User engagement, a key factor in the success of social media platforms, has long been based on permanent content. A recent paradigm shift in platform design has led large social media providers to implement ephemerality features that by default make shared content disappear after a certain amount of time. However, very little is known about how ephemerality features affect user engagement and behavior in social media. Drawing upon the technology affordance perspective, we conducted a qualitative multimethod study involving individual interviews and focus groups. Our findings show that the affordances arising from features with varying degrees of ephemerality (i.e., snaps and stories) differ from those of permanent content features in terms of self-presentation, browsing others' content, and communication. Adopting a multidimensional conceptualization of user engagement, we show the positive (e.g., more content sharing) and negative (e.g., cognitive burden from context loss) effects for snaps and stories that should be cautiously considered by social media platforms aiming to introduce such features. Finally, we reveal new user behaviors that relate to sharing snapshots of fleeting value as snaps or experiences of transient value as stories. Collapse

Topics: affordance social media user behavior Snapchat usability

Methods: qualitative interview focus group mixed method cross sectional research qualitative coding

Theories: theory of affordance

The impact of politeness on conversational outcomes in mobile dating apps

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Lopez Long, H.; Fichman, P.

Abstract: Mobile dating applications like Bumble andTinder have grown in popularity, incr ... Expand

Abstract: Mobile dating applications like Bumble andTinder have grown in popularity, increasingly attracting scholarly attention. Our study focuses on the impact of politeness strategies and imposition on conversational outcomes on mobile dating apps. Using a 2 by 2 factorial design we examine the impact of degree of directness and imposition impact on perceptions of potential romantic partners and attitudes toward intensifying a relationship. We found that indirectness (a higher-order politeness strategy) and requests for face-to-face dates (high imposition) were positively associated with 1) attitudes toward intensifying a relationship, and 2) the perceived likeability of an interactional partner. Indirect politeness strategies more often resulted in request compliance and rejection strategies varied based on degrees of directness and the nature of the requests. Further exploration of how individuals evaluate imposition as it relates to requests for transitioning conversations from a mobile dating platform to faceto-face, is needed. Collapse

Topics: online dating Snapchat

Methods: factorial experiment qualitative content analysis descriptive statistic statistical hypothesis test personal interview

Optional Verification and Signaling in Online Matching Markets: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Shi, Lanfei; Viswanathan, Siva

Abstract: Online matching platforms lack common informational mechanisms such as ratings a ... Expand

Abstract: Online matching platforms lack common informational mechanisms such as ratings and reviews that serve to reduce information asymmetry in transactional platforms. The lack of verified information about participants further exacerbates issues of information asymmetry in such markets. This study focuses on a novel role of verification in such matching markets—its ability to serve as a credible signal for a user when such verification is made optional and visible to other users. In collaboration with a leading online dating platform with no reputation mechanisms and where most of the information is self-disclosed, we design and conduct a randomized field experiment to examine not only who chooses to verify but also, the effectiveness of such optional verification for different types of users. Interestingly, we find that users on the two sides use the same signal very differently. Males act consistent with the conventional prediction of signaling, with high-type males being more likely to opt in to verification. As for females, we find that medium-type females are the most likely to opt in to verification as compared with high-type females. We also find that such differential opt-in decisions are related to the differences in the credibility of the existing key attribute of each side (viz., income for males and beauty for females). In examining the outcomes of verification, we find that verified users receive more contacts from higher-type users, with the high-type males and medium-type females benefitting the most. More interestingly, we find that verified users become more proactive and reach out to more and better potential partners. Further, the introduction of this voluntary verification facilitates desirable matching outcomes and benefits the platform as a whole. These findings have useful implications for research as well as practice. History: Ravi Bapna, senior editor. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1194. Collapse

Topics: online dating LinkedIn anonymity data breach privacy

Methods: experimental group deep learning survey experiment robustness check

Theories: signaling theory lemon market theory economic theory

Introduction to the Information Systems Research Special Section on Market Design and Analytics

2022 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Bapna, Ravi; Day, Bob; Ketter, Wolf; Bichler, Martin

Abstract: Please scroll down for article-it is on subsequent pagesWith 12,500 members fro ... Expand

Abstract: Please scroll down for article-it is on subsequent pagesWith 12,500 members from nearly 90 countries, INFORMS is the largest international association of operations research (O.R.) and analytics professionals and students. INFORMS provides unique networking and learning opportunities for individual professionals, and organizations of all types and sizes, to better understand and use O.R. and analytics tools and methods to transform strategic visions and achieve better outcomes. For more information on INFORMS, its publications, membership, or meetings visit Collapse

Topics: online dating outsourcing online auction

Methods: difference in differences theory development econometric modeling field experiment

Managing Congestion in a Matching Market via Demand Information Disclosure

2022 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 5

Authors: Huang, Ni; Burtch, Gordon; He, Yumei; Hong, Yili

Abstract: Congestion is a common issue in digital platform markets, wherein users tend to ... Expand

Abstract: Congestion is a common issue in digital platform markets, wherein users tend to focus their attention on a subset of popular peers. We examine this issue in the context of online dating, considering the potential efficacy of an informational intervention, namely, the disclosure of peers’ recent demand. In doing so, we first note that the benefits of disclosing demand information are not altogether clear in this context, a priori, because dating platforms are distinct from other platforms in several important respects. On the one hand, dating platforms facilitate social relationships, rather than trade in goods and services. Therefore, they operate on different norms and typically lack common levers that platform operators employ to balance supply and demand, such as pricing mechanisms and reputation systems. Dating app users may therefore pay greater attention to the quality implications of peer demand information, worsening congestion. On the other hand, demand information disclosure may be atypically effective at mitigating congestion in a dating context because, in addition to opportunity costs of time and effort, daters also bear fears of social rejection, leading them to shy away from in-demand peers. We evaluate our treatment’s efficacy in mitigating congestion and improving matching efficiency, conducting a randomized field experiment at a large mobile dating platform. Our results show that the intervention is particularly effective at improving matching efficiency when presented in tandem with a textual message-framing cue that highlights the capacity implications of the peer demand information. Heterogeneity analyses further indicate that these effects are driven primarily by those users who most contend with congestion in the form of competition, namely, male users and those who rely more heavily upon outbound messages for matches. History: This paper has been accepted for the Information Systems Research Special Section on Market Design and Analytics. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1148. Collapse

Topics: online dating data breach mobile application user behavior data warehouse

Methods: experimental group experiment field experiment difference in differences longitudinal research

The Secret to Finding a Match: A Field Experiment on Choice Capacity Design in an Online Dating Platform

2022 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 4

Authors: Jung, Jaehwuen; Lim, Hyungsoo; Lee, Dongwon; Kim, Chul

Abstract: Online matching platforms require new approaches to market design because firms ... Expand

Abstract: Online matching platforms require new approaches to market design because firms can now control many aspects of the search and interaction process through various IT-enabled features. Although choice capacity—the number of candidates a user can view and select—is a key design feature of online matching platforms, its effect on engagement and matching outcomes remains unclear. We examine the effect of different choice capacities on the number of choices and matches made on a platform by conducting a randomized field experiment in collaboration with an online dating platform. Specifically, we (1) select users who are of a similar age and live in the same geographical location, (2) design four treatment groups with different choice capacities in which users can only interact with other users in the same group, and (3) randomly assign the users to the treatment groups. We find that providing more choice capacity to male and female users has different effects on choice behaviors and matching outcomes. Although increasing the choice capacity of male users yields the highest engagement, increasing the choice capacity of female users is the most effective method to increase matching outcomes. We posit and empirically demonstrate four mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of different choice capacity designs. Furthermore, we generalize our findings to other online matching platforms and discuss how choice capacity can be designed to increase engagement and matching outcomes. History: Ravi Bapna, Martin Bichler, Bob Day, and Wolfgang Ketter, Senior Editors; Thayer Morrill, Associate Editor. This paper has been accepted for the Information Systems Research Special Section on Market Design and Analytics. Funding: The work described in this paper was substantially supported by the Early Career Scheme grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China [Project No. HKUST 26504318]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2021.1028. Collapse

Topics: online dating mobile application production management 3D printing user behavior

Methods: experiment experimental group randomized field experiment experimental design ordinary least square

Gender Gating? Addressing Congestion to Improve Women's Welfare on Online Matching Platforms

2022 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Karmegam, Sabari Rajan; Ramaprasad, Jui; Gopal, Anand

Abstract: The problem of worsening gender skew is particularly damaging in the context of ... Expand

Abstract: The problem of worsening gender skew is particularly damaging in the context of matching platforms since it affects the welfare and user experience of women participants. In this paper, we look at how a platform-level intervention could reduce the congestion for women and thus improve their overall user experience on the platform. We specifically look at a form of "gender gating" intervention in a leading matrimonial platform within one of their sub-domains. The intervention restricts the profile visibility of women users based on age, education, income, and marital status related to social norms. Our analysis shows that the platform-level intervention had the desired effect -women in the treatment group received fewer unwanted requests for contacts, experienced more matches, and initiated more contacts themselves, representing a better user experience. Our work extends the platform literature by studying how platform owners can improve Women's welfare on matching platforms through market design. Collapse

Topics: digital platform user experience user behavior recommender system social norm

Methods: experiment experimental group robustness check regression analysis method quasi experiment