Single Parent Seeking Single Parent? The Effects of Parental and Previous Relationship Status on Perceptions of Online Dating Profiles

Despite limited research on single parent dating, one study found that perceptions of single adults in an online dating profile varied by their gender, number of children, and parental status (Sommer, Plumm, Terrance, & Tubré, 2013). This information may affect perceived desirability and dateabi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of relationships research 2016, Vol.7, Article e9
Main Authors: Plumm, Karyn M., Sommer, Shannon, Uhl, Carolyn, Stone, Kaylee
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dating services
Parents & parenting
Perceptions
Personal relationships
Single parents
Studies
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Summary:Despite limited research on single parent dating, one study found that perceptions of single adults in an online dating profile varied by their gender, number of children, and parental status (Sommer, Plumm, Terrance, & Tubré, 2013). This information may affect perceived desirability and dateability for potential mates. The current study explored the effects of a potential mate's parental and previous relationship status, as well as participant parental status, on the participants’ perceptions of a potential dating partner via an online dating profile. Participants (n = 251), who were single and looking to date, were asked to read a brief ‘About the person’ section of a dating profile and rate how they viewed the person on general positive traits, childrearing ability, family relationships, dating appeal, future investment, and stress. Results indicated that single parents and non-parents alike preferred partners with no children. Additionally, single parents viewed being divorced more positively than single adults who are not parents, whereas single adults with no children viewed the profile with no previous relationship most positively. Future research should focus on the participant's intent for viewing and selecting a mate through the means of online dating.
ISSN:1838-0956
1838-0956
DOI:10.1017/jrr.2016.10