The group is working on a project exploring relationships and how social media impacts romantic relationships. They are in the initial research phase gathering sources on the topic. Rebecca shares 5 academic sources she found in APA format. Emily shares 3 sources on online dating and extraversion. Jade had forwarded an article previously. They agree to each find 3 more sources by Friday and discuss further on Wednesday. Rebecca also provides a report on online dating in Canada as an additional resource.

1. Hey everyone!
Sounds like we would like to explore the relationships between people and how social media
can help.
This doc can start as a platform for us to brainstorm and gather ideas.
Email is the best way to contact me besides texts. My cell number is 5055068260.
Emily and I are already facebook friends, but you can find me by looking up
Jade.Griffith1@gmail.com
I would like to get as much started as possible. I will also forward an email that i found
interesting today. Let’s exchange contact info on here and just any other info that you would like
to include.
I look forward to working with you all!
Hey Jade!
Email and texts are the best way to contact me too.
repittma@g.cofc.edu
803.920.8023
I’m usually at work in the mornings until about 1, but I can typically answer email while I’m there.
Is there anything specific you want me to look up for the project? The way I understand it is that
we’re exploring how social media impacts romantic relationships. Is that correct? I guess I still
don’t fully get what we’re even supposed to do for the project.
-Rebecca
Hi guys! I work MWF from 10-2, but other than that, I’m available as needed. I’m trying to get as
much work done as possible for the class each day, but until he outlines exactly what we’re
doing for this project, the most we can do is research. I liked the article you shared, Jade. As
someone who has never had to rely on social media for dating or any other relationship, I find it
very interesting. Let’s focus on researching for now...three sources each by Friday? Also, my
cell number is 803-640-5212.
-Emily
Yeah, 3 sources each by Friday sounds good. -Jade
Here are some sources. I went ahead and put them in APA
format.
Merkle, E.R., & Richardson, R.A. (2000). Digital dating and virtual relating: conceptualizing
computer mediated romantic relationships. Family Relations, 49,187–192.

2. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2000.00187.x/full
An early study (2000) about relationship development on the Internet.
Anderson, T.L. (2005). Relationships among internet attitudes, internet use, romantic beliefs,
and perceptions of online romantic relationships. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 8,
521-531.
http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?
sid=2f41d878-5cd3-4982-97b6-829a495c841f
%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d
%3d#db=aph&AN=19107746
“Results reveal that amount of time spent online and affinity for the Internet are positively
related to more favorable perceptions of online romantic relationships, whereas perceived
realism and romantic beliefs were not related to perceptions of online romantic relationships.
Romantic beliefs, therefore, may lend themselves to more conventional notions of relationships.
Implications for and development and maintenance of online relationships, as impacted by
social support networks, are discussed.”
Wu, P.L., & Chiou, W.B. (2009). More options lead to more searching and worse choices in
finding partners for romantic relationships online: an experimental study.
CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12, 315-318.
http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=27ef6f61-d439-40c7-8338-
cbbf381daa83%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d
%3d#db=aph&AN=41138985
“It is not surprising that the Internet has become a means by which people expand their
social networks and form close relationships.Almost every online-dating Web site provides
members with search tools. However, do users truly benefit from more complete searches of a
large pool of possibilities? The present study, based on the cognitive perspective, examined
whether more search options triggered excessive searching, leading to worse choices and
poorer selectivity.”
Pauley, P.M., & Emmers-Sommer, T.M. (2007). The impact of internet technologies on primary
and secondary romantic relationship development. Communication Studies, 57,
411-427.
http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=f266d6b1-
a20e-4df2-92ef-40fe39469c21%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3
QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=27395257
“This study examined the impact that changes in Internet-based technologies have on
romantic relationships developed exclusively online. Thirty-six participants completed the 44-
item Online Relationships Questionnaire. Participants were then divided into three categories
based on self-reported media preference: asynchronous text, synchronous text, and rich media.
No significant differences existed on measures of relational confidence or intimacy based solely
on media selection. Participants utilizing the Internet to maintain a secondary romantic
relationship reported higher levels of relational certainty and greater expectations of future
interaction with their online partner than participants involved exclusively in online relationships
(i.e., the online relationship was the participant's only romantic relationship).”

3. Rosen, L.D., Cheever, N.A., Cummings, C., & Felt, J. (2008). The impact of emotionality and
self-disclosure on online dating versus traditional dating. Computers in Human Behavior,
24, 2124-2157.
http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?
sid=30126b6e-0399-40c8-8214-593493958ba3%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=Jn
NpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ufh&AN=32843465
“Online dating is unique in the pursuit of romance. The bond created between potential partners takes a different path
than normal dating relationships. Online dating usually begins with a flurry of e-mail messages, each more intimate
than the last.Traditional dating relationships that might take months to develop in the real world, take weeks or even
days online. Much has been written about cyber-dating, but little research has been done. This series of four studies
examines the online dating process, similarities and differences between online and traditional dating, and the impact
of emotionality and self-disclosure on first (e-mail) impressions of a potential partner. Results indicate that the amount
of emotionality and self-disclosure affected a person’s perception of a potential partner. An e-mail with strong
emotional words (e.g., excited, wonderful) led to more positive impressions than an e-mail with fewer strong
emotional words (e.g., happy, fine) and resulted in nearly three out of four subjects selecting the e-mailer with strong
emotional words for the fictitious dater of the opposite sex. Results for self-disclosure e-mails were complex, but
indicate that levels of self-disclosure led to different impressions. Low levels of self-disclosure were generally
preferred in choosing for the fictitious dater, although these preferences differed by gender, education, and ethnic
background. Results were discussed in terms of theories of computer-mediated communication.”
Samp, J., & Palevitz, C. (2008). Dating and romantic relationships: taking tradition into the future
with a computer. Proceedings from NCA 94th Annual Convention. San Diego, CA.
http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=1a4c9765-4741-4733-8e0f-
b814f6d5f6f7%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=108&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d
%3d#db=ufh&AN=44853194
“Traditional approaches to romantic relationship initiation, development, management, and dissolution have focused
on such processes as they unfold between face-to-face participants. Little research to date has examined how all
stages of romantic relationships have been redefined due to the mainstreaming of the internet as a tool for positive
relationship functioning. Therefore, our goal here is to highlight how traditional modes of relationship formation,
development, and management are now changing, particularly for "generation net" as a means toward encouraging
communication scholars to develop research and theories that integrate computer-mediated processes as an
important, and functional, part of romantic relationships.”
--This one’s a bit random. It isn’t published in a magazine, but it may help with our study.
Love Online: A report on digital dating in Canada
Dr. Robert J. Brym,
Dr. Rhonda L. Lento
http://www.bestsoftworks.com/docs/loveonline.pdf
http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/men/why-people-date-online
--Hope it helps!
Rebecca

4. Emily’s Sources:
http://dl.acm.org.nuncio.cofc.edu/citation.cfm?
id=2103354.2103361&coll=DL&dl=ACM&CFID=83526204&CFTOKEN=96786150
“Online social networks can be found everywhere from chatting websites like MSN,
blogs such as MySpace to social media such as YouTube and second life. Among
them, there is one interesting type of online social networks, online dating network that
is growing fast. This paper analyzes an online dating network from social network
analysis point of view. Observations are made and results are obtained in order to
suggest a better recommendation system for people-to-people networks.”
http://dl.acm.org.nuncio.cofc.edu/citation.cfm?
id=1718918.1718923&coll=DL&dl=ACM&CFID=83526204&CFTOKEN=96786150
“People increasingly rely on social networking websites to initiate personal and
professional relationships. This requires that a considerable amount of trust be placed in
strangers solely on the basis of their online profiles. This paper examines how the
nature of online information affects how trustworthy online daters are perceived. Visual
(i.e., photographs) and textual (i.e., "about me" section) information is considered.
Results show that textual information elicits the highest ratings of trustworthiness, and
that the addition of a photograph decreases daters' perceived trustworthiness. However,
the accuracy of trustworthiness impressions is low regardless of the type of information
available, because of a truth bias. Results are discussed in terms of (1) hyperpersonal
impression formation and the nature of truth bias; and (2) practical implications for
building trustworthiness online.”
http://web.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=125&sid=55ee5496-
dfd6-4395-972f-a7c92f96f035%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ
%3d%3d#db=ufh&AN=18654977
“The study examines the effects of online dating experience on the personality of a
person. It proposes that people may develop a new profile of personality when they are
online. Online extraversion and offline extraversion were therefore measured
separately. A structural equation model was built to test the theoretical assumptions
derived from these two perspectives in the development of online extraversion.”

5. Jade’s Sources (I will update in APA style Monday)
http://www.liberianobserver.com/index.php/columns/item/1173-using-technology-to-find-
a-relationship-facebook-dating-service-sexting-are-the-new-enablers
“Back in the day, the “process” of finding a relationship involved a lot of effort. First of all, we were told
that there were specific places we had to “hang out” to find the right partner. The Church, library, musical
concerts, sporting events or school events (talent show, coronation ball, etc.), we were told, were places a
person could find a “good clean and God-fearing” partner. And when you did find the partner, you would
have to “approach” the person either verbally or through a written letter. After you expressed interest, you
would then have to wait to get your “answer” which took a day, a few days or weeks, depending on how
the person felt about you. If the answer was in the affirmative and the relationship started, there were
additional rules to follow. Furthermore, if marriage was a prospect, you’d have to propose to the partner,
meet the parents and request permission to get married. Indeed, it was a process. These days, that has
changed! The process is not as cumbersome, thanks to technology. You don’t have to go to church, or to
any event, and certainly not the library in hopes of finding a relationship. All you need is the right
technology and access to the Internet.”
Facebooks, phones, dating sites, “old way” vs “new way”
http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/blogs/technology-short-circuiting-your-relationship
Liked this alot!
Can you use technology in a way that makes use of its advantages and limits its disadvantages to your relationship?
Detachment -- Advantages
Detachment -- Disadvantages
Off-Line Exclusivity
Regulating Feelings (Advantages/Disadvantages)
Information Seeking (Advantages/Disadvantages)
http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/men/real-dating-vs-online-dating
People Love the Virtual Thrill of the Chase
My friend Jack explained his experience on OKCupid: Users make it known how selective they are. He says most
cute girls with intelligent and interesting profiles indicate that they are "very selective" in who they respond to. This is
not unlike the bar scene — a gorgeous person in the room holding court seems intimidating and tough to get a
response from.
Online Dating: Progression of Online Dating
Problem: Traditional dating is a challenging in the real world
REBECCA: Defining traditional dating and why it’s difficult
EMILY: Transition to online dating and why it’s easier

6. JADE: Where is it not, how is it used now, and how might it change in the next five
years?
Meet on again Wednesday at 2:30...VoiceThread to Rebecca by Monday