Investigating predictors of online dating motivation: Dark triad traits, rejection sensitivity, and interpersonal emotion regulation

The study aimed at exploring the predictors of online dating application adoption, with a focus on gender. The motivations to adopt these applications which were having casual sex, forming romantic relationships, avoiding negative emotions, not feeling alone, having fun and wasting time were explored in relation to the variables of Dark Triad Traits, Rejection Sensitivity, and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation. The sample consisted of 128 heterosexual participants who were online dating application users (60 women, 68 men) aged between 18-34 (M=24, SD=3,22) at the time of data collection. Sociodemographic Information Form, Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, Short Dark Triad (SD-3), and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire were employed to collect data. First, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square tests, Spearman Rho correlational analysis and then Log-Linear analysis was conducted to analyze data. For men, psychopathy trait from Dark Triad Traits were found to be related to casual sexual relationship motivation; social modeling, soothing, and perspective-taking strategies from Interpersonal Emotion Regulation were associated with romantic relationship motivation. For women, online dating applications appeared to function as enhancing their mood instead of forming short or long-term relationships. The results of the study were discussed in the light of relevant literature. Theoretical implications of the results were presented and suggestions for future research were mentioned. Key Words: Dating, Online Dating Applications, Dark Triad Traits, Rejection Sensitivity, Interpersonal Emotion Regulation