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Tinder Users: Sociodemographic, Psychological, and Psychosexual Characteristics

Author

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  • Juan Ramón Barrada

    (Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad de Zaragoza, Calle Atarazanas 4, 44003 Teruel, Spain)

  • Ángel Castro

    (Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad de Zaragoza, Calle Atarazanas 4, 44003 Teruel, Spain)

Abstract

Tinder is the most popular and most used dating app in the world today. Due to the recent popularization of the phenomenon of dating apps, there are still some gaps in the literature. Therefore, this study had a threefold objective: (1) to determine the prevalence and characteristics of Tinder users and Tinder use among young university students; (2) to know why these young people use Tinder; and (3) to analyze the relationship between Tinder use and different psychosocial correlates (positive and negative affect, body satisfaction, sociosexuality, and attitudes towards consensual nonmonogamy) and psychosexual well-being (self-esteem as a sexual partner, satisfaction with sex life, and preoccupation with sex). Participants were 1261 Spanish university students (77.4% women, 77.5% heterosexuals) between ages 18 and 26 ( M = 20.59, SD = 2.04) who completed a battery of online questionnaires. A prevalence of Tinder use of about 15% was found. The motives for use most frequently reported by the participants were those of curiosity, passing time/entertainment, and sexual orientation. Besides, Tinder users showed greater sociosexuality than nonusers, as well as increased dissatisfaction with their sex life and sexual preoccupation, and more positive attitudes towards consensual nonmonogamy. Importantly, no or very small differences were found in the general emotional well-being-related variables. Tinder seems like just another tool used by young people for their romantic and/or sexual interactions, without any negative connotation.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Ramón Barrada & Ángel Castro, 2020. "Tinder Users: Sociodemographic, Psychological, and Psychosexual Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8047-:d:438446
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ángel Castro & Juan Ramón Barrada, 2020. "Dating Apps and Their Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-25, September.
    2. Elena Fernández del Río & Pedro J. Ramos-Villagrasa & Ángel Castro & Juan Ramón Barrada, 2019. "Sociosexuality and Bright and Dark Personality: The Prediction of Behavior, Attitude, and Desire to Engage in Casual Sex," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-12, July.
    3. Ángel Castro & Juan Ramón Barrada & Pedro J. Ramos-Villagrasa & Elena Fernández-del-Río, 2020. "Profiling Dating Apps Users: Sociodemographic and Personality Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-13, May.
    4. Neyt, Brecht & Vandenbulcke, Sarah & Baert, Stijn, 2019. "Are men intimidated by highly educated women? Undercover on Tinder," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Juan Ramón Barrada & Ángel Castro & Elena Fernández del Río & Pedro J Ramos-Villagrasa, 2021. "Do young dating app users and non-users differ in mating orientations?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(2), pages 1-11, February.
    2. Alexandru Mateizer & Eugen Avram, 2022. "Mobile Dating Applications and the Sexual Self: A Cluster Analysis of Users’ Characteristics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Angel Castro & José David Moreno & Berta Maté & Javier Ibáñez-Vidal & Juan Ramón Barrada, 2021. "Profiling Children Sexual Abuse in a Sample of University Students: A Study on Characteristic of Victims, Abusers, and Abuse Episodes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-9, April.

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